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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: wax · face · bore · fine · rock · bat · mouse · stem

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bat — the animal
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. face — to confront
  8. bore — to tire
  9. face — part of the head
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stem — to come from
  15. fine — all right
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bat — in an idiom

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