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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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bore — to drill
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. present — there
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. present — the time now
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. present — a gift
  21. craft — boats
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wax — in the ear

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