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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bore — to drill
  3. shower — rain
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. land — ground
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. shower — to wash
  15. land — to come down
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. land — a country
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bore — to tire
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. stand — for spectators

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