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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: stand · suit · bulb · face · season · bore · wax · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. 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. club — for dancing
  2. season — of the year
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. season — in sport
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wax — to grow
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. club — for golf
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bulb — for light
  17. face — to point toward
  18. suit — in cards
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. club — a group
  21. suit — clothes
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  24. 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