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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. wound — an injury
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. object — to protest
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bore — to drill
  7. firm — steady
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rash — a series
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bore — to tire
  16. object — an aim
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. firm — decided
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. object — a thing
  24. firm — a company

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