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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. chest — a box
  7. bark — to shout
  8. cell — a phone
  9. march — the month
  10. chest — of your body
  11. march — music
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. cell — in biology
  16. march — the month
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  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