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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · wind · mark · mouse · drill · pitch · bark · pop

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pop — soda
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pitch — completely
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bark — to shout
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. pop — music
  24. drill — army training

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com