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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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. key — the most important part
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pop — soda
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. pop — music
  14. bore — to drill
  15. squash — to crush
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. object — to protest
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. plane — a tool
  22. object — an aim
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. object — a thing

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