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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 120 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rest — a break
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wax — to grow
  12. firm — steady
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mug — a face
  19. firm — decided
  20. mug — a cup
  21. firm — a company
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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