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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: drill · bat · charge · wax · mouse · band · bulb · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. drill — the tool
  3. band — a ring
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. band — a music group
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. charge — a price
  18. toast — bread
  19. charge — in control
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bat — the animal
  22. drill — army training
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. band — a rubber band

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