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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. staff — a stick
  4. court — of a king
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. present — there
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bore — to drill
  9. wax — to grow
  10. drill — a practice
  11. staff — employees
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. staff — employees
  18. can — a tin
  19. court — of law
  20. bore — to tire
  21. drill — the tool
  22. court — for sport
  23. drill — army training
  24. present — the time now

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