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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: bay · drill · date · fan · pop · pass · cap · wax

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pop — music
  8. drill — a practice
  9. date — the fruit
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pass — a permit
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pop — soda
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. fan — a supporter

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