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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 116 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rule — government
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — the amount
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rule — a law
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. content — happy
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — a phone
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cell — in biology

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