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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. rest — a break
  4. shower — rain
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rock — a stone
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. deal — to handle
  15. spell — letters
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. spell — magic
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rock — music
  21. spell — a short time
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. wax — to grow

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