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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: bore · coach · bound · row · file · wax · staff · bear

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bore — to drill
  4. file — a document
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. staff — employees
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bound — certain
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. staff — employees
  13. bear — the animal
  14. row — a line
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a tool

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