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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 116 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: pass · lie · wax · rash · chair · field · nail · drill

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pass — a permit
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. rash — a series
  9. drill — the tool
  10. field — farmland
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. drill — army training
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wax — to grow
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. lie — to recline

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