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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 116 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wind — moving air
  6. present — there
  7. suit — clothes
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. root — of a word
  15. present — the time now
  16. snap — to click
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. present — a gift
  21. root — the cause
  22. suit — to fit
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bore — to drill

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