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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. chest — a box
  5. land — a country
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wax — to grow
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a face
  13. bore — to drill
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — steady
  16. land — ground
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. firm — a company
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mug — a cup
  24. land — to come down

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