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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: last · racket · wax · dip · pitcher · band · bound · bore

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. last — to go on
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bound — obliged
  5. last — final
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. band — a music group
  8. bound — certain
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. last — finally
  16. band — a ring
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. dip — a sauce

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