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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: pass · pop · bound · face · tube · fork · wax · bore

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bound — tied together
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bound — obliged
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. wax — to grow
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bore — to tire
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pop — music
  19. tube — a container
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bound — certain
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pass — to succeed

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