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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. ground — crushed
  8. chest — a box
  9. squash — to crush
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. chest — of your body
  24. squash — the sport

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