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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. fork — in a road
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. can — a tin
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — child
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bore — to drill
  23. can — a tin
  24. bore — gave birth

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