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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. staff — employees
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. roll — a list
  6. wax — to grow
  7. staff — a stick
  8. drill — a practice
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. roll — a cake
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bore — to drill
  14. drill — army training
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. tear — to rip
  17. staff — employees
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bore — to tire
  24. tear — from crying

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