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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: wax · stand · wound · spring · bear · bound · drill · season

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wound — an injury
  4. spring — the season
  5. drill — the tool
  6. wax — to grow
  7. season — in sport
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bound — certain
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bound — tied together
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bear — the animal
  14. drill — army training
  15. bound — obliged
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stand — to bear
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. spring — of water
  22. season — of the year
  23. wound — an injury
  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