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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. scale — for weighing
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a ring
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bore — to tire
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. kid — child
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. board — to get on
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. bore — to drill
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. board — a committee
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. land — to come down
  23. kid — to tease
  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