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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: cell · pop · ball · drill · wave · cap · wax · rash

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. cap — a hat
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. drill — army training
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. drill — a practice
  15. rash — a series
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pop — to visit
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cap — a lid
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — soda
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. ball — a dance

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