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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 116 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rock — a stone
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bore — to tire
  6. suit — to fit
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. track — to keep track
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. suit — clothes
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rash — a series
  14. track — a path
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. rock — music
  17. kid — child
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. track — a song
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bore — to drill

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