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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
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: wax · dip · chest · pop · bear · bark · drill · present

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. chest — a box
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. drill — army training
  8. wax — to grow
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pop — soda
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chest — of your body
  21. present — a gift
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bark — to shout
  24. dip — to sink

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