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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. charge — in control
  4. foot — a measure
  5. key — in music
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. land — ground
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. key — for a lock
  14. land — to come down
  15. charge — electricity
  16. squash — the sport
  17. charge — a price
  18. wind — moving air
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bore — to tire
  21. land — a country
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. key — the most important part

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