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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
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: stick · key · file · land · drill · shower · wax · lash

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. key — for a lock
  7. land — to come down
  8. key — the most important part
  9. land — a country
  10. drill — the tool
  11. land — ground
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. shower — to wash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wax — to grow
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. key — in music
  18. drill — a practice
  19. shower — rain
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. file — a line of people
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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