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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: bat · coach · wax · mark · ground · firm · bore · tear

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bore — to tire
  8. tear — from crying
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ground — a position
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. ground — crushed
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bore — to drill
  23. firm — steady
  24. mark — a trace

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