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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.

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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: bass · lie · bulb · bore · nail · wake · wax · bear

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bass — low music
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bear — the animal
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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