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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bore — to drill
  5. scale — in music
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. tube — a container
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. branch — a division
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bore — to tire
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bear — the animal
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. prune — to trim
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bear — the animal

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