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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: tube · drill · scale · wax · last · rock · row · mouse

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. tube — a container
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rock — music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. last — finally
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. row — to paddle
  10. scale — size or range
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. drill — army training
  16. last — final
  17. row — a line
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. row — a quarrel

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