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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bore — to drill
  11. track — a song
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rule — government
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rule — a law
  21. mark — a trace
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. mark — a grade
  24. track — a path

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