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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: bore · stand · wax · spell · staff · land · bass · band

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. land — to come down
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wax — to grow
  6. staff — a stick
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. land — a country
  9. staff — employees
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. staff — employees
  18. band — a ring
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bass — low music
  21. band — a music group
  22. spell — magic
  23. land — ground
  24. bore — to drill

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