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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. squash — the sport
  9. stock — goods
  10. bore — to tire
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stock — shares
  15. track — a song
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. track — to keep track
  21. object — a thing
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. track — a path
  24. squash — to crush

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