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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. clip — a video
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. chest — of your body
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. lean — thin
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. clip — for paper
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. lean — to bend
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bore — to tire
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bore — to drill
  24. lean — to rest against

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