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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wax — to grow
  7. craft — a skill
  8. present — a gift
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. snap — to click
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bore — to tire
  14. band — a music group
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bore — to drill
  18. band — a ring
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. craft — boats
  23. present — there
  24. band — a rubber band

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