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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. content — happy
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. fall — to drop
  20. drill — a practice
  21. wax — to grow
  22. content — the amount
  23. fall — the season
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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