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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. ball — a great time
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bore — to tire
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. ball — a dance
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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