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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 116 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
468
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: bound · present · bore · wax · season · row · game · cabinet

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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. bound — tied together
  2. season — in sport
  3. present — the time now
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bound — certain
  9. row — a line
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bore — to drill
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. row — to paddle
  18. season — of the year
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. present — a gift
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. present — there
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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