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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bore — to drill
  3. spell — magic
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. shower — rain
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mate — to breed
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bore — to tire
  23. spell — letters
  24. shower — to wash

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