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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. charge — in control
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. date — the fruit
  11. charge — a price
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rash — a series
  16. kid — to tease
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. charge — electricity
  20. kid — child
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bore — to drill
  23. coach — a trainer
  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