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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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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: bear · can · wax · bore · pop · ball · straw · mate

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. pop — soda
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. ball — a dance
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pop — to visit
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mate — a friend
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wax — to grow
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pop — music
  22. bore — to drill
  23. mate — a partner
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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