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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · wax · game · bore · mug · content · drill · kid

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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 tire
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. game — wild animals
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — happy
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bore — to drill
  12. drill — army training
  13. mug — a cup
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. game — a match
  17. drill — a practice
  18. kid — child
  19. cue — a hint
  20. kid — to tease
  21. drill — the tool
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  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