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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stock — shares
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. stock — goods
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bulb — for light
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wax — to grow
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. row — a line
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. row — to paddle

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