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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. lean — thin
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. saw — the tool
  5. swing — in golf
  6. saw — the tool
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bore — to tire
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pound — a weight
  14. swing — music
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. drill — a practice
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. lean — to bend
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wax — to grow
  23. drill — army training
  24. wax — in the ear

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