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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. rule — government
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bore — to tire
  7. foot — a measure
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bass — low music
  12. rule — a law
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. mouse — for a computer

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