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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bore — to drill
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bore — to tire
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. board — to get on
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fall — the season
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bank — for money
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. board — a committee
  20. bank — for money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a city
  24. hand — help

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