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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.

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: racket · wax · stand · rock · bay · face · spring · drill

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. face — to confront
  9. spring — a coil
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rock — music
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — army training
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. spring — the season
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. drill — the tool
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. racket — a loud noise

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