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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 · pit · tear · nail · bore · last · bear

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pit — a hole
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. last — to go on
  6. pit — in a race
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bound — obliged
  13. last — final
  14. bound — certain
  15. bear — the animal
  16. tear — to rip
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bore — to tire
  20. last — finally
  21. bore — to drill
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bear — to put up with

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