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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bore — to drill
  4. wax — to grow
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. game — a match
  7. game — wild animals
  8. present — a gift
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. present — there
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. present — the time now
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bore — to tire
  24. deal — to handle

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