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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. charge — a price
  5. wound — an injury
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. scale — in music
  8. stem — to come from
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. charge — in control
  12. wax — to grow
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bore — to drill
  16. charge — electricity
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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