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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. board — to get on
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. staff — employees
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. land — to come down
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. staff — employees
  15. land — a country
  16. hand — in cards
  17. board — a committee
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bulb — for light
  20. land — ground
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. staff — a stick
  23. hand — help
  24. bulb — for light

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