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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 116 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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. season — of the year
  8. mate — a partner
  9. season — in sport
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. band — a music group
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mate — a friend
  19. band — a ring
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — of water
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. spring — the season

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