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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: ground · temple · nail · bore · wax · fall · hide · last

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. ground — a position
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ground — the earth
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. last — final
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. last — finally
  19. last — to go on
  20. fall — the season
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. ground — crushed
  24. nail — on a finger

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