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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 116 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. scale — in music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. saw — the tool
  11. scale — size or range
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pass — a permit
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. scale — for weighing

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