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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: lie · bear · rest · drill · wax · board · field · key

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. field — for sport
  3. board — a committee
  4. lie — to recline
  5. drill — army training
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. key — the most important part
  9. rest — what's left
  10. field — farmland
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wax — to grow
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — to get on
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. field — a subject

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