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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 124 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 · date · wax · ball · mate · mark · calf · firm

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. firm — decided
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mate — to breed
  5. ball — a dance
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. firm — steady
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. firm — a company
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mate — a partner
  16. drill — army training
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. drill — a practice
  19. date — the fruit
  20. wax — to grow
  21. drill — the tool
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mate — a friend

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