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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
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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: bore · mine · bank · trunk · wave · wax · vault · season

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. bore — to tire
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wax — to grow
  8. season — of the year
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. season — in sport
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bore — to drill
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bank — for money
  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