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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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bore — to drill
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bass — low music
  9. bank — for money
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. fork — in a road
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bore — to tire
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bank — for money
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. deal — to handle
  22. plane — a tool
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bank — of a river

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