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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. track — a path
  4. tube — a container
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. cap — a hat
  10. staff — employees
  11. track — a song
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bore — to tire
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. wax — to grow
  23. cap — a lid
  24. tube — the underground

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