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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. net — after costs
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. swing — music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bass — the fish
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wax — to grow
  16. swing — to play on
  17. stem — to come from
  18. net — for catching
  19. board — a committee
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. net — in sport
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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