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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. ball — a dance
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. can — a tin
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bore — to tire
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. bore — to drill
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. calf — a young animal

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