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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. drill — army training
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wake — a trail
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bore — to drill
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. game — a match
  17. drill — the tool
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bore — to tire

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