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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: drill · saw · fine · mine · bulb · wax · stick · date

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. drill — army training
  6. bulb — for light
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mine — for digging
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. drill — the tool
  13. fine — high quality
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. date — the fruit
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. fine — all right
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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