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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bore — to tire
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stock — goods
  13. face — to point toward
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. face — to confront
  16. stock — shares
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. board — a committee
  19. stem — to come from
  20. board — to get on
  21. perch — the fish
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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