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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
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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 · mouse · stick · bowl · drill · rash · lean · land

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wax — to grow
  4. land — to come down
  5. lean — to bend
  6. drill — a practice
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. land — ground
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. drill — the tool
  15. lean — thin
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rash — a series
  19. drill — army training
  20. land — a country
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bowl — to roll

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