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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. board — to get on
  4. roll — a list
  5. bore — to drill
  6. board — a committee
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — a video
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. roll — a cake
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bore — to tire
  22. craft — a skill
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. craft — boats

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