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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. hand — help
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bore — to tire
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. drill — army training
  21. bass — low music
  22. saw — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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