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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. degree — temperature
  10. wound — an injury
  11. land — ground
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. drill — army training
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. degree — from a university
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. land — to come down
  19. degree — an amount
  20. land — a country
  21. wax — to grow
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. drill — the tool
  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