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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: bay · bore · last · tear · ground · tube · cabinet · wax

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. tear — to rip
  3. last — finally
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. tube — a container
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. tear — from crying
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wax — to grow
  17. ground — a position
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. last — final

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