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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: drill · rush · mug · wax · key · roll · wound · pound

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. key — in music
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wax — to grow
  8. mug — a face
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. roll — a list
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. pound — a weight
  19. key — the most important part
  20. roll — a cake
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. drill — a practice
  23. mug — to rob
  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