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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. tear — to rip
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. chip — for betting
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. tear — from crying
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rest — what's left
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. chip — to eat
  17. rest — what's left
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rest — a break
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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