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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: saw · bound · stem · band · bore · wax · snap · prune

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bore — to drill
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bound — obliged
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. band — a music group
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bound — tied together
  14. snap — to click
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bound — certain
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wax — to grow
  20. band — a ring
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. prune — to trim

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