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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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bore — to tire
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. firm — a company
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cap — a lid
  14. firm — decided
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. hand — in cards
  20. firm — steady
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. hand — help

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