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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bass — the fish
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bore — to tire
  5. face — to confront
  6. club — for dancing
  7. face — to point toward
  8. club — for golf
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. face — part of the head
  11. club — a group
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rash — a series
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — clever
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bass — low music
  24. wax — to grow

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