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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. craft — boats
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mine — for digging
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pitch — completely
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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