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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 116 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bound — certain
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bore — to tire
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bore — to drill
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. content — happy
  14. bound — obliged
  15. content — the amount
  16. staff — employees
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bound — tied together
  19. row — a line
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. staff — employees

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