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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. wax — to grow
  3. field — a subject
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. march — the month
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bore — to tire
  15. march — the month
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. toast — bread
  19. march — music
  20. field — farmland
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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