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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. tube — the underground
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. saw — the tool
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wax — to grow
  12. tube — a container
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bulb — for light
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. season — in sport
  21. bulb — for light
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. perch — the fish

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