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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: fall · mouse · drill · wax · calf · ground · key · pop

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pop — soda
  5. drill — a practice
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pop — music
  8. drill — army training
  9. fall — the season
  10. ground — a position
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. ground — crushed
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pop — to visit
  17. ground — the earth
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. key — in music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. fall — to drop
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mouse — for a computer

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