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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cue — a hint
  4. net — in sport
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bore — to tire
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. net — for catching
  12. content — the amount
  13. cue — a signal
  14. net — after costs
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. roll — a cake
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cue — for pool
  22. branch — a division
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bore — to drill

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