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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bore — to drill
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bore — to tire
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pop — soda
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. track — to keep track
  14. cue — a signal
  15. wax — to grow
  16. track — a song
  17. saw — the tool
  18. track — a path
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pop — music
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pop — to visit
  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