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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. wax — to grow
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wound — an injury
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pop — soda
  11. vault — a safe
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bound — certain
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. present — the time now
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pop — to visit
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pop — music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wax — for sculpting

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