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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mug · wave · object · wax · key · drill · spell · tear

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. spell — letters
  4. object — an aim
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. drill — army training
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mug — to rob
  16. tear — to rip
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. drill — a practice
  20. tear — from crying
  21. drill — the tool
  22. key — the most important part
  23. tear — from crying
  24. spell — magic

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