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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. track — to keep track
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. track — a path
  11. track — a song
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wax — to grow
  14. craft — a skill
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. snap — to click
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. craft — boats
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. drill — a practice

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