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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. branch — a division
  7. mug — a face
  8. cap — of ice
  9. ground — a position
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wax — to grow
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. branch — of a tree

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