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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bass — low music
  6. stock — goods
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. cap — a lid
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stock — shares
  16. season — of the year
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wax — to grow
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. cap — a hat
  21. season — in sport
  22. march — the month
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. wax — for sculpting

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