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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. row — to paddle
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mark — a trace
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. craft — boats
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bore — to tire
  16. season — in sport
  17. bore — to drill
  18. craft — a skill
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. season — of the year
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. row — a line

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