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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — child
  13. pop — soda
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pop — music
  16. mark — a trace
  17. kid — to tease
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mark — a grade

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