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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wind — moving air
  4. firm — decided
  5. key — in music
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bore — to drill
  9. firm — a company
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. row — a line
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. row — to paddle
  16. firm — steady
  17. wind — moving air
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wax — to grow
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bore — gave birth

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