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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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. object — a thing
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bore — to tire
  5. season — of the year
  6. key — in music
  7. wax — to grow
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bore — to drill
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mine — for digging
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. object — an aim
  20. season — in sport
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. object — to protest
  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