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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: drill · prune · wax · stick · bound · mark

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bound — certain
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wax — to grow
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mark — a trace
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mark — a grade

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