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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rest — what's left
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. rest — a break
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fine — all right
  15. toast — bread
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rest — what's left
  24. land — a country

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