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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lie — to recline
  5. court — of a king
  6. root — the cause
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. root — of a word
  10. bore — to drill
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. court — of law
  20. drill — a practice
  21. root — of a plant
  22. drill — army training
  23. court — for sport
  24. wax — in the ear

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