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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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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: bore · cell · sharp · wax · bank · drill · row · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bore — to drill
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bore — to tire
  6. drill — army training
  7. sharp — clever
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bank — for money
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bank — for money
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. drill — the tool
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a line
  24. drill — a practice

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