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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ground — crushed
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. can — to be able to
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. branch — a division
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. can — a tin
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bore — to tire
  24. can — a tin

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