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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: race · drill · chip · saw · cabinet · wax · stock · chest

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — the tool
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chest — a box
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wax — to grow
  20. race — the arms race
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chip — to eat
  24. drill — a practice

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