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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stem — to come from
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. track — a song
  8. game — a match
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. roll — a cake
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bore — to tire
  18. roll — a list
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. game — wild animals

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