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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: wax · saw · spell · bore · key · wound · patient · net

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wax — to grow
  5. net — for catching
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. spell — letters
  10. net — in sport
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bore — to drill
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. net — after costs
  20. spell — a short time
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. key — for a lock
  23. spell — magic
  24. key — in music

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