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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: bore · perch · nail · temple · ball · dip · wax · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. dip — to sink
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bore — to drill
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wax — to grow
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ball — a great time
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. ground — a position
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bore — to tire
  24. wax — in the ear

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