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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bore — to tire
  9. deal — to handle
  10. drill — the tool
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. kick — in football
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. wax — to grow
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. drill — army training

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