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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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. trunk — of a car
  4. bore — to tire
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. board — a committee
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. wax — to grow
  11. band — a music group
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. band — a ring
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. board — to get on
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. content — the amount
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. deal — to handle

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