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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wax — to grow
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bore — to drill
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. swing — to play on
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. swing — in golf
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — letters
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. spell — magic

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