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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.

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 · scale · field · kid · mouse · wax · bay · bulb

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — farmland
  14. bulb — for light
  15. kid — child
  16. scale — in music
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. field — a subject

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