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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. wax — to grow
  3. spell — a short time
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mug — a face
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. spell — magic
  10. bore — to tire
  11. field — for sport
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. spell — letters
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mug — to rob
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. mug — a cup
  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