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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rush — hurry
  3. wax — to grow
  4. can — a tin
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. track — to keep track
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stock — shares
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mug — a cup
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. mug — a face
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. can — a tin
  24. stock — goods

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