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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bore — to drill
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. spell — magic
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. spell — letters
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. band — a music group
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. band — a ring
  17. hand — help
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bore — to tire
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. hand — in cards
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. spell — a short time

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