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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.

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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: bore · wax · pound · present · rule · calf

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. present — a gift
  3. rule — a law
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. rule — government
  13. pound — a weight
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. calf — a young 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