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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bore — to tire
  6. chest — a box
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. ball — a great time
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. ball — a dance
  13. chest — of your body
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wax — in the ear

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