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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 116 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: mine · mug · calf · stock · court · patient · wax · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mug — to rob
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. drill — a practice
  5. court — for sport
  6. mug — a face
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. court — of law
  9. drill — army training
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. stock — goods
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. court — of a king
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wax — to grow
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mug — a cup

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