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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: march · straw · bay · drill · stick · cabinet · fan · wax

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. march — the month
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. straw — dry grass

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