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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 120 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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wake — a trail
  13. deal — to handle
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. wax — to grow
  20. chair — a leader
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bore — gave birth

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