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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: spell · chip · bound · perch · bore · saw · rock · wax

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rock — music
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. perch — the fish
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. spell — letters
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  24. chip — for betting

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