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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. suit — in cards
  6. wax — to grow
  7. suit — to fit
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bore — to tire
  11. content — the amount
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rush — hurry
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bore — to drill
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — happy
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rush — to hurry

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