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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: chair · squash · club · drill · leaves · wax · bear · deal

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. drill — a practice
  10. club — a group
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. squash — the sport
  14. chair — a leader
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. squash — to crush
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wax — to grow
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. drill — the tool

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