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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.

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: bore · saw · land · bulb · pitcher · chair · wax · fan

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. land — a country
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. land — ground
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bulb — for light
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. land — to come down
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. chair — a leader
  24. fan — a supporter

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