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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. fall — to drop
  7. board — a committee
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. board — to get on
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. fall — to drop
  14. spell — magic
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bore — to tire
  18. wax — to grow
  19. fall — the season
  20. wound — an injury
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. kick — in football

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