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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cap — a hat
  3. tube — a container
  4. current — happening now
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. current — electric
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bore — to tire
  11. current — of water
  12. roll — a list
  13. wax — to grow
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cap — a lid
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cap — of ice
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bore — to drill
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. tube — the underground

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