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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bore — to drill
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rash — a series
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. hand — help
  9. stock — shares
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rash — hasty
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stock — goods
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. ground — a position
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. ground — crushed
  24. wake — a trail

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