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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 124 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bore — to drill
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. game — a match
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. last — final
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wax — to grow
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. bore — to tire
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pass — a permit
  24. sharp — clever

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