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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 116 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. squash — to crush
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bass — the fish
  11. can — a tin
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. kick — in football
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bass — low music
  24. perch — the fish

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