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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · wax · bear · mine · bore · nail · pound · saw

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bore — to drill
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bear — the animal
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bore — to tire
  23. saw — the tool
  24. hide — to keep secret

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