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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. march — music
  7. hand — help
  8. tear — from crying
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cue — a signal
  13. tear — to rip
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. hand — in cards
  17. march — the month
  18. wax — to grow
  19. march — the month
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bore — to tire
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bore — gave birth

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