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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. swing — to play on
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. tube — a container
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bore — to tire
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. swing — music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. content — the amount
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. tube — the underground
  20. content — happy
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. tube — in a tire

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