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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. chest — a box
  5. toast — bread
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bore — to drill
  8. spell — letters
  9. bore — to tire
  10. staff — employees
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wax — to grow
  13. spell — a short time
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. spell — magic
  17. club — a group
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. staff — employees
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. staff — a stick
  24. wax — for sculpting

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