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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.

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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: bulb · file · bore · ground · mine · wax · bay · wake

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. file — a document
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. ground — a position
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bulb — of a plant

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