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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rash — a series
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a ring
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. band — a music group
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bore — to drill
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rash — hasty

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