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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. present — the time now
  3. row — a line
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. chip — to eat
  7. present — there
  8. face — to confront
  9. chip — for betting
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. present — a gift
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bore — to drill
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. wax — to grow
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. prune — to trim
  20. face — to point toward
  21. row — to paddle
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bore — to tire
  24. wax — for sculpting

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