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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 124 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bore — to drill
  3. net — in sport
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pit — a hole
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. net — after costs
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bore — to tire
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. net — for catching
  22. date — the fruit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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