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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. net — after costs
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wax — to grow
  11. prune — to trim
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. shower — to wash
  14. prune — to trim
  15. last — finally
  16. last — final
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — rain
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — for catching
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. foot — a measure
  24. wax — in the ear

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