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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 120 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 · mate · hide · wax · cabinet · kid · court · rash

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. mate — a friend
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rash — a series
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bore — to drill
  12. kid — to tease
  13. court — of law
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wax — to grow
  18. court — of a king
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. court — for sport
  22. mate — to breed
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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