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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · drill · cap · lie · mouse · snap · pop · wax

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. pop — music
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. cap — a hat
  7. ball — a great time
  8. drill — the tool
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. cap — of ice
  12. snap — to click
  13. lie — to recline
  14. drill — army training
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pop — soda
  24. lie — an untruth

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