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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: mate · staff · bore · snap · wax · can · trunk · spell

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bore — to drill
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. mate — to breed
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mate — a partner
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. can — a tin
  10. staff — a stick
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. staff — employees
  14. spell — a short time
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. staff — employees
  18. wax — to grow
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. snap — to click

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