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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bore — to tire
  3. ground — a position
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. spring — of water
  7. wax — to grow
  8. spring — the season
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. spring — a coil
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. press — to push
  19. pound — a weight
  20. press — a publisher
  21. ground — crushed
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. ground — the earth
  24. wave — of the sea

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