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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: hand · ruler · bore · perch · bound · wax · file · dip

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hand — in cards
  8. perch — the fish
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wax — to grow
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bore — to drill
  17. hand — help
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bound — certain

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