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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.

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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: saw · rush · wax · bore · wind · prune · fine · pop

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rush — hurry
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bore — to drill
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pop — soda
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pop — music
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bore — to tire
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pop — to visit
  24. fine — all right

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