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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: track · safe · season · drill · wax · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bore — to drill
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. season — of the year
  7. bore — to tire
  8. track — a path
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. drill — a practice
  12. season — in sport
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. drill — army training
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. wax — to grow
  18. season — to add flavour

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