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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bore — to tire
  4. rest — a break
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rest — what's left
  11. toast — bread
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pop — to visit
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. row — a line
  18. pop — soda
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bore — to drill
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pop — music

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