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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wax — to grow
  3. land — ground
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. ground — the earth
  7. drill — the tool
  8. squash — to crush
  9. land — a country
  10. fine — all right
  11. drill — army training
  12. land — to come down
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ground — a position
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. squash — the sport
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bear — to put up with

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