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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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 — gave birth
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pass — a permit
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bore — to drill
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bore — to tire
  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