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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cell — in biology
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. present — a gift
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wax — to grow
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. present — there
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. present — the time now
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cell — a phone
  24. wax — for sculpting

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