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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bulb — for light
  9. press — newspapers
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wax — to grow
  21. pass — a permit
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pound — for dogs

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