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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mark — a trace
  5. court — of a king
  6. rest — what's left
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wax — to grow
  11. staff — employees
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. rest — a break
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. staff — employees
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bore — to drill
  24. pit — a hole

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