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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: foot · pass · straw · hide · bore · rock · spring · wax

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. foot — a measure
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — a coil
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. hide — to keep secret

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