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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 · bound · bore · tear · wave · plane · saw · bulb

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bound — tied together
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bound — certain
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bound — obliged
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bore — to tire
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bore — to drill

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