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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 · leaves · spell · track · board · pass · wax · fine

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. spell — magic
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fine — all right
  6. spell — a short time
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. board — to get on
  10. spell — letters
  11. fine — high quality
  12. track — a song
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. board — a committee
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wax — to grow
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. drill — the tool
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. pass — to succeed

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