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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. staff — a stick
  5. board — to get on
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. staff — employees
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. stock — shares
  14. staff — employees
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bear — the animal
  21. board — a committee
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stock — goods
  24. lash — an eyelash

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