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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tube · saw · wax · staff · spell · bore · present · game

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — letters
  3. present — a gift
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. tube — the underground
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. present — the time now
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. saw — the tool
  14. present — there
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. tube — a container
  20. bore — to tire
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. wax — to grow
  24. staff — employees

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