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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: fine · wax · mine · bore · rash · pitcher · bound · clip

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mine — for digging
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bound — certain
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — a video
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. rash — a series
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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