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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bank — for money
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bore — to tire
  8. roll — a list
  9. bank — of a river
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. present — the time now
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. ball — a great time
  19. present — a gift
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. present — there
  22. ball — a dance
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bank — for money

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