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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. press — a publisher
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. board — to get on
  7. suit — clothes
  8. tube — the underground
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. board — a committee
  12. press — to push
  13. tube — a container
  14. suit — in cards
  15. stock — goods
  16. suit — to fit
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mine — for digging
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stock — shares
  23. mine — an explosive
  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