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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 120 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. band — a music group
  8. cap — a lid
  9. staff — employees
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. band — a ring
  13. bore — to drill
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. staff — a stick
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. sharp — clever
  18. lie — to recline
  19. cap — of ice
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. wax — to grow
  24. staff — employees

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