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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 · perch · bowl · spell · bat · root · drill · staff

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bat — the animal
  5. wax — to grow
  6. spell — letters
  7. perch — the fish
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. root — of a word
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. drill — army training
  19. root — the cause
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. spell — magic
  22. root — of a plant
  23. staff — employees
  24. bowl — a dish

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