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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. rash — hasty
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bore — to drill
  7. track — a path
  8. wax — to grow
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. dip — to sink
  12. face — part of the head
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. face — to confront
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rash — a series
  18. bore — to tire
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. track — a song
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rash — on the skin

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