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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bore — to tire
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. field — a subject
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bore — to drill
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bat — the animal
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. field — for sport
  22. wax — to grow
  23. track — a song
  24. field — farmland

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