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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mug — a face
  3. fall — to drop
  4. snap — to click
  5. fall — the season
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mug — to rob
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. mine — for digging
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mug — a cup
  16. fine — all right
  17. branch — a division
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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