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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: mine · bound · cell · wake · leaves · pitcher · perch · wax

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wax — to grow
  4. cell — in biology
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wake — a trail
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. perch — the fish
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bound — certain
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bound — obliged
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pitcher — a jug

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