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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. net — after costs
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ground — a position
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. net — for catching
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. net — in sport
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ground — crushed
  24. fall — the season

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