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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bore — to drill
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. plane — a tool
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. wax — to grow
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bore — to tire

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