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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
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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: hand · drill · sharp · mug · cap · wax · temple · bore

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. drill — the tool
  4. hand — help
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. drill — army training
  7. hand — in cards
  8. wax — to grow
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bore — to tire
  12. sharp — clever
  13. cap — a hat
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. mug — a face
  23. cap — of ice
  24. temple — a place of worship

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