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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
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: object · pit · bore · face · plane · wax · season · trunk

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bore — to tire
  3. face — to confront
  4. season — in sport
  5. object — an aim
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. face — to point toward
  14. wax — to grow
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. object — to protest
  18. plane — a tool
  19. face — part of the head
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. season — of the year
  22. object — a thing
  23. pit — a hole
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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