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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wax — to grow
  3. court — of law
  4. bore — to tire
  5. court — of a king
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. face — to confront
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. court — for sport
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bore — to drill
  19. face — part of the head
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rush — hurry
  24. face — to point toward

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