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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pound — a weight
  5. stand — to bear
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. fall — the season
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bore — to tire
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stand — for spectators

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