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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bore — to drill
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mate — a partner
  15. hand — help
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. hand — in cards
  18. wax — to grow
  19. date — the fruit
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mate — to breed
  23. foot — a measure
  24. wax — in the ear

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