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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
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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: spell · wax · rock · bear · tear · court · drill · band

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. court — of a king
  4. spell — magic
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. wax — to grow
  8. spell — letters
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. drill — army training
  12. bear — the animal
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. tear — from crying
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. tear — to rip
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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