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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. key — the most important part
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. key — in music
  13. bore — to drill
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pit — a hole
  16. key — for a lock
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pit — in a race
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. nail — for a hammer

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