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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rock — a stone
  3. chest — a box
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rock — music
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wax — to grow
  12. can — to be able to
  13. chest — of your body
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. drill — army training
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bore — to drill
  21. drill — the tool
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. drill — a practice

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