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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bore — to drill
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. suit — in cards
  7. board — to get on
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. track — a path
  11. suit — clothes
  12. track — to keep track
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. track — a song
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. board — a committee
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. suit — to fit
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. squash — to crush
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bore — to tire
  24. wax — in the ear

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