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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. spring — the season
  3. suit — clothes
  4. club — for dancing
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bore — to tire
  9. suit — in cards
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. club — for golf
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. spring — a coil
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. suit — to fit
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. spring — of water
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. club — a group
  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