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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. branch — a division
  3. tube — a container
  4. pop — music
  5. wax — to grow
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ground — a position
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rest — a break
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pop — soda
  15. bore — to tire
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pop — to visit
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bore — to drill
  24. rest — what's left

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