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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: content · pit · bore · rash · spell · rest · wax · arm

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rash — a series
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. content — the amount
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bore — to drill
  11. spell — a short time
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rest — a break
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. rest — what's left
  24. arm — part of the body

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