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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bore — to drill
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rash — a series
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. toast — bread

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