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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. face — part of the head
  3. track — a path
  4. face — to point toward
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wax — to grow
  12. track — a song
  13. face — to confront
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bore — to tire
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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