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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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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a plant
  6. ball — a great time
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. ball — a dance
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. sharp — clever
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. root — of a word
  20. bore — to tire
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. scale — size or range
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bore — to drill

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