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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 116 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.

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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: bear · mouse · firm · bore · mark · trunk · bat · wax

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. firm — a company
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. firm — steady
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wax — to grow
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. firm — decided
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — the animal

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