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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 · wax · rash · spring · kid · stem · hide · mouse

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. kid — child
  5. wax — to grow
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. spring — a coil
  8. kid — to tease
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — of water
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rash — a series
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bore — gave birth

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