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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bore — to drill
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wax — to grow
  17. saw — the tool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to tire
  24. cell — in a prison

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