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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 124 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. present — there
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. present — the time now
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. present — a gift
  9. march — the month
  10. wax — to grow
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. dip — to sink
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fork — in a road
  18. march — music
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bore — to drill
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. march — the month

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