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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 124 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. drill — a practice
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. drill — army training
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pitch — completely
  23. branch — a division
  24. bore — to tire

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