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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 120 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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. present — a gift
  6. tube — a container
  7. present — the time now
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. tube — the underground
  12. hand — in cards
  13. present — there
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rock — a stone
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — help
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rock — music
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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