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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 120 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: hand · wave · pop · wax · current · drill · scale · pitcher

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. current — electric
  7. hand — help
  8. current — happening now
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pop — music
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. scale — size or range
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. drill — the tool
  21. current — of water
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. scale — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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