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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · bore · wax · object · deal · craft · pop · spring

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. spring — the season
  3. pop — soda
  4. present — there
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. deal — to handle
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. object — an aim
  9. bore — to drill
  10. craft — boats
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. present — a gift
  13. wax — to grow
  14. object — to protest
  15. spring — of water
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pop — to visit
  19. present — the time now
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. object — a thing
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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