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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wound — an injury
  4. spring — the season
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. spring — a coil
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bore — to drill
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. spring — of water
  23. bore — to tire
  24. wax — to grow

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