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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: bore · deal · perch · wax · board · bulb · land · bound

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. board — to get on
  3. bound — certain
  4. board — a committee
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bound — tied together
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. land — ground
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bound — obliged
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. land — a country
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bore — to tire
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. land — to come down
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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