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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bore · hide · stick · march · wax · can · bulb · key

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. march — music
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. key — the most important part
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. can — a tin
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. key — in music
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. can — a tin
  13. march — the month
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wax — to grow
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. march — the month
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. key — for a lock

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