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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bore — to drill
  6. can — a tin
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. can — to be able to
  10. board — to get on
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pit — a hole
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pit — in a race
  16. present — a gift
  17. can — a tin
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. present — there
  21. wax — to grow
  22. board — a committee
  23. present — the time now
  24. game — a match

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