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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 124 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. sharp — clever
  4. spell — a short time
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. shower — to wash
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bore — to drill
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stock — shares
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. shower — rain
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stock — goods
  24. ruler — a monarch

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