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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. file — a tool
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. file — a document
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. squash — to crush
  13. kick — in football
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. file — a line of people
  16. squash — the sport
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bore — to tire
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wax — to grow
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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