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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: drill · stock · toast · game · wax · stick · bear · mug

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stock — goods
  7. drill — a practice
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bear — the animal
  14. drill — army training
  15. stock — shares
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mug — a face
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. game — a match
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mug — a cup

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