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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. face — to confront
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. toast — bread
  8. race — humankind
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bore — to drill
  13. spring — the season
  14. bore — to tire
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. wax — to grow
  18. race — a contest
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. race — the arms race
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. face — part of the head

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