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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — for dancing
  4. land — ground
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. club — a group
  10. face — part of the head
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. land — to come down
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wax — to grow
  16. face — to point toward
  17. land — a country
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. face — to confront
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wax — for sculpting

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