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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · race · sharp · jam · cell · mouse · ball · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bore — to tire
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — in biology
  7. race — humankind
  8. bore — to drill
  9. race — the arms race
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. cell — a phone
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. race — a contest
  24. wax — for sculpting

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