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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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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: race · capital · key · wax · bore · saw · chair · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. race — humankind
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bore — to drill
  7. chair — a leader
  8. key — for a lock
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bore — to tire
  14. race — a contest
  15. drill — army training
  16. race — the arms race
  17. capital — money
  18. wax — to grow
  19. key — the most important part
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. key — in music
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. wax — in the ear
  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