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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: wound · bore · wax · ball · present · foot · pop · ground

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wound — an injury
  8. present — there
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. present — a gift
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. pop — soda
  15. ball — a great time
  16. present — the time now
  17. bore — to drill
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pop — music
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pop — to visit
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wax — in the ear

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