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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
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: object · saw · coach · cell · wax · clip · bore · fine

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. clip — a video
  6. bore — to drill
  7. object — to protest
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fine — high quality
  10. saw — the tool
  11. object — an aim
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fine — all right
  14. cell — in biology
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. clip — for paper
  21. wax — to grow
  22. clip — to cut
  23. object — a thing
  24. coach — a trainer

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