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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: bound · saw · bore · wax · net · bear · bark · mug

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bore — to tire
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bear — the animal
  8. net — for catching
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mug — a face
  11. wax — to grow
  12. net — in sport
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bound — tied together
  21. net — after costs
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. mug — to rob
  24. saw — the tool

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