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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: clip · wax · fall · jam · ball · drill · press · club

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — newspapers
  5. ball — a dance
  6. fall — to drop
  7. press — to push
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. drill — army training
  10. fall — to drop
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. fall — the season
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — for paper
  17. drill — a practice
  18. club — for dancing
  19. ball — a great time
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. club — a group
  22. clip — to cut
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. club — for golf

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