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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. firm — decided
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bore — to drill
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. firm — steady
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. mine — for digging
  19. band — a ring
  20. firm — a company
  21. band — a music group
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  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