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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wax — to grow
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. cell — in biology
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bound — certain
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pop — soda
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pop — music
  24. leaves — to go away

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