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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. tube — a container
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. lean — thin
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bat — the animal
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lean — to bend

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