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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: wake · fine · shower · arm · wax · pit · bore · bound

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bound — tied together
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bound — certain
  10. shower — rain
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bore — to tire
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — to wash
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bore — to drill
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. pit — in a race

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