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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bore — to tire
  3. board — to get on
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. march — music
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. wax — to grow
  18. board — a committee

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