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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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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: fine · wax · drill · hand · roll · coach · racket · bore

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. drill — a practice
  4. fine — all right
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. wax — to grow
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. roll — a list
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. fine — high quality
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. drill — army training
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bore — to drill
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bore — to tire
  24. racket — for tennis

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