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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. wax — to grow
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. face — to point toward
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fall — the season
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bore — to tire
  16. fall — to drop
  17. face — part of the head
  18. sharp — clever
  19. ground — a position
  20. face — to confront
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fall — to drop
  23. ground — the earth
  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