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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fork — in a road
  3. march — music
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. march — the month
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. current — of water
  16. march — the month
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. current — electric
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pound — a weight
  23. current — happening now
  24. fork — to eat with

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