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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. roll — a list
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bore — to drill
  8. firm — steady
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. deal — to handle
  12. wax — to grow
  13. firm — a company
  14. bore — to tire
  15. foot — a measure
  16. firm — decided
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a cake
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. present — a gift
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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