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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.

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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bore — to drill
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. wax — to grow
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — the tool
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. drill — a practice
  24. racket — for tennis

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