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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: wax · drill · cabinet · foot · game · mark · plane · current

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mark — a grade
  3. drill — army training
  4. foot — a measure
  5. current — electric
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. current — happening now
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. mark — a trace
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wax — to grow
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. current — of water
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. drill — a practice

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