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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cap — a hat
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bore — to tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. club — a group
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. cap — of ice
  15. tube — a container
  16. club — for dancing
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wax — to grow
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bore — to drill

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