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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: drill · bore · prune · kid · wax · pitcher · lean · present

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — the tool
  3. present — there
  4. prune — to trim
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. present — the time now
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. lean — thin
  11. bore — to drill
  12. kid — child
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. lean — to bend
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. drill — a practice
  22. kid — to tease
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. present — a gift

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