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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. deal — to handle
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. file — a document
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. race — a contest
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cap — a hat
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. race — the arms race
  20. wax — to grow
  21. race — humankind
  22. bore — to tire
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wax — for sculpting

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