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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 · leaves · roll · object · wax · wound · temple · tube

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wound — an injury
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wax — to grow
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. tube — a container
  8. object — to protest
  9. tube — the underground
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. roll — a list
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bore — to tire
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. object — a thing
  17. roll — a cake
  18. object — an aim
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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