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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. ground — a position
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pitch — completely
  17. ground — the earth
  18. wake — a trail
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bore — to drill
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fine — all right

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