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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: craft · cap · wax · current · bore · last · bound · snap

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. current — happening now
  3. last — finally
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. last — final
  6. wax — to grow
  7. cap — a hat
  8. last — to go on
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bound — obliged
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. cap — a lid
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bound — tied together
  19. current — electric
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. current — of water
  22. bound — certain
  23. cap — of ice
  24. snap — to click

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