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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. snap — to click
  3. rest — what's left
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rest — a break
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bank — for money
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bank — for money
  13. track — a song
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wax — to grow
  21. track — a path
  22. bank — of a river
  23. rest — what's left
  24. prune — to trim

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