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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: bore · sharp · wake · straw · dip · bear · track · wax

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. track — a song
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bore — to drill
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bear — the animal
  20. dip — to sink
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wax — to grow
  23. track — a path
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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