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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. can — to be able to
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — an aim
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. field — for sport
  10. can — a tin
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. field — a subject
  18. object — a thing
  19. ball — a great time
  20. can — a tin
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. field — farmland
  23. wax — to grow
  24. sharp — exactly

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