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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
468
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 · ground · bear · cue · wax · face · kid · tube

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bore — to tire
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bore — to drill
  6. face — part of the head
  7. kid — to tease
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. ground — a position
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. tube — a container
  13. ground — the earth
  14. face — to point toward
  15. cue — a hint
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. tube — the underground
  20. cue — a signal
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — child
  24. face — to confront

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