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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. track — a path
  5. mate — to breed
  6. track — a song
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. ball — a dance
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fine — all right
  17. mate — a partner
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bore — to tire
  20. cue — a signal
  21. fine — high quality
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ball — a great time
  24. cue — a hint

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