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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 116 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: squash · ruler · safe · march · wax · dip · pass · drill

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pass — a permit
  5. squash — the sport
  6. drill — army training
  7. dip — to sink
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. march — the month
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. drill — the tool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. drill — a practice
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. ruler — for measuring

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