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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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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: rock · wax · ruler · bore · lean · season

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. rock — music
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rock — a stone
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. season — in sport
  16. wax — to grow
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wax — in the ear

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