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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · kid · mark · lean · mouse · drill · pitch · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. drill — the tool
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. kid — child
  7. lean — thin
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pitch — completely
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. drill — a practice
  18. wax — to grow
  19. drill — army training
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mouse — the animal

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