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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: rule · rush · craft · drill · ball · wax · squash · tube

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rush — hurry
  4. drill — a practice
  5. craft — a skill
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. squash — the sport
  11. ball — a great time
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rule — government
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. drill — the tool
  16. rule — a law
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. ball — a dance
  24. tube — a container

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