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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bulb — for light
  3. row — a line
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. toast — bread
  13. track — a path
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rest — what's left
  21. track — a song
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. toast — the most admired

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