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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.

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: hide · cabinet · tube · kick · wax · stock · wind · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bore — to drill
  8. tube — a container
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. stock — goods
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. kick — in football
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stock — shares

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