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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. roll — a list
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. wax — to grow
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. season — of the year
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. kick — in football
  20. pop — soda
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — music
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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