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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: clip · ruler · bore · dip · spring · wax · jam · hide

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. clip — for paper
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. spring — the season
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. clip — to cut
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wax — to grow
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. clip — a video
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bore — to tire

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