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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: wax · lean · rock · nail · content · bore · spell · chip

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. content — the amount
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rock — music
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. spell — a short time
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. chip — to eat
  18. content — happy
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rock — a stone
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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