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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. file — a line of people
  5. tear — to rip
  6. present — a gift
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. tear — from crying
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bore — to drill
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a tool
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bore — gave birth

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