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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bore — to tire
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. suit — in cards
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cold — an illness
  9. pound — a weight
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wax — to grow
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bear — the animal
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rest — a break

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