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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: wax · pop · ruler · bore · perch · kid · wound · craft

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wound — an injury
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pop — music
  8. craft — a skill
  9. kid — child
  10. craft — boats
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bore — to drill
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pop — soda
  20. perch — the fish
  21. wax — to grow
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. kid — to tease

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