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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 120 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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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 · bound · nail · fall · perch · bore · last · prune

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bound — certain
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bound — tied together
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bore — to drill
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. last — finally
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. last — final
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wax — to grow
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bound — obliged
  24. last — to go on

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