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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bore — to drill
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. game — a match
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. spell — letters
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. wax — to grow
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. rest — a break

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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