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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.

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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: drill · suit · cell · band · shower · mark · wax · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. drill — a practice
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. band — a ring
  5. shower — rain
  6. cell — in biology
  7. suit — in cards
  8. shower — to wash
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. drill — army training
  14. suit — to fit
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mark — a trace
  17. squash — the sport
  18. suit — clothes
  19. mark — a grade
  20. wax — to grow
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a music group
  24. cell — a phone

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