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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. present — the time now
  3. cap — a lid
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. last — finally
  9. present — a gift
  10. bore — to tire
  11. ball — a dance
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — a city
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. wax — to grow
  17. capital — money
  18. last — final
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. ball — a great time
  23. present — there
  24. last — to go on

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