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

Word bank: wax · sharp · temple · saw · drill · club · jam · bore

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. club — for golf
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bore — to tire
  8. saw — the tool
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. drill — army training
  11. wax — to grow
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. club — for dancing
  17. saw — the tool
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. sharp — with an edge

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