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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: present · pit · wax · rule · bore · spring · leaves · ground

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. rule — a law
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rule — government
  6. ground — crushed
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. pit — in a race
  10. ground — a position
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wax — to grow
  14. present — there
  15. pit — a hole
  16. present — the time now
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. present — a gift
  22. spring — of water
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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