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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stock — shares
  4. bulb — for light
  5. staff — employees
  6. season — in sport
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bore — to tire
  9. firm — decided
  10. branch — a division
  11. season — of the year
  12. firm — steady
  13. staff — employees
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wax — to grow
  16. staff — a stick
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stock — goods
  21. firm — a company
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bulb — for light

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