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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: bore · bulb · wound · bowl · pop · tear · wax · fine

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pop — soda
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bore — to drill
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. fine — all right
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pop — music

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