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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.

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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: squash · racket · leaves · wax · bowl · race · date · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wax — to grow
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. race — a contest
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — the arms race
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bore — to drill
  15. squash — the sport
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. squash — to crush
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. date — the fruit

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