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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.

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: wax · bore · content · fan · present · stem · pitch · calf

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wax — to grow
  3. content — happy
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. present — the time now
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bore — to tire
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — the amount
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitch — a sports field

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