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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. net — in sport
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. lean — to bend
  7. net — for catching
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. lean — thin
  12. net — after costs
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pit — in a race
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. wake — a trail
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bowl — a dish

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