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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · wax · bear · nail · mate · bound · chair · fall

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. mate — a partner
  9. saw — the tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chair — a leader
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. chair — a professorship

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