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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wind — moving air
  3. staff — employees
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. staff — a stick
  13. season — of the year
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. staff — employees
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. wax — for sculpting

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