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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · dip · mine · wax · spell · chair · cap · mouse

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. spell — magic
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mine — for digging
  9. drill — the tool
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. spell — a short time
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. drill — army training
  21. spell — letters
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. cap — a hat

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