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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. tube — a container
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bound — certain
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bound — obliged
  10. tube — the underground
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bore — to drill
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bore — gave birth

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