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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. deal — to handle
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rest — a break
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. present — a gift
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rest — what's left
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. present — there
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. rest — what's left
  19. present — the time now
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pound — a weight
  24. branch — a division

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