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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: firm · wax · temple · fall · pitch · bear · bore · bound

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bore — to drill
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bound — certain
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. firm — decided
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bound — tied together
  20. firm — steady
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. bear — the animal
  24. firm — a company

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