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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: bat · rock · pit · present · bore · wake · bark · wax

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wax — to grow
  11. present — there
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pit — a hole
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bark — to shout
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. pit — in a race
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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