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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — happy
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. sharp — clever
  10. band — a ring
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wake — a trail
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. band — a music group
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. branch — a division

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