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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. suit — to fit
  3. scale — in music
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wax — to grow
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bore — to drill
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. scale — size or range
  18. toast — bread
  19. bore — to tire
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — to shout
  24. suit — clothes

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