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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 · saw · dip · pop · trunk · deal · rash · wax

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pop — music
  5. drill — a practice
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. dip — to sink
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. drill — army training
  16. rash — hasty
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wax — to grow
  24. dip — a sauce

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