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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wax — to grow
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. club — for golf
  13. bore — to drill
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group

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