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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bound — obliged
  4. face — to confront
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bound — certain
  7. face — part of the head
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bore — to tire
  10. cue — for pool
  11. face — to point toward
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wax — to grow

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