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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. land — to come down
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. track — a song
  6. land — a country
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. land — ground
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — a law
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bore — to drill
  21. track — a path
  22. roll — a list
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bore — gave birth

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