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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.

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: perch · wax · capital · roll · hide · mine · ball · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. ball — a dance
  14. roll — a list
  15. perch — the fish
  16. capital — a city
  17. mine — for digging
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ball — a great time
  24. capital — money

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