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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. can — a tin
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. club — a group
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — not warm
  8. pop — music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — soda
  12. club — for dancing
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. track — a path
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. track — a song
  19. wax — to grow
  20. track — to keep track
  21. club — for golf
  22. can — a tin
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. can — to be able to

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