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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bore — to drill
  3. spell — magic
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. branch — a division
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bound — certain
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. spell — letters
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — to grow
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. spell — a short time
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. perch — the fish

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