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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
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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: game · kick · wax · season · bound · bore · bay · club

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. club — for dancing
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. wax — to grow
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — in football
  19. club — for golf
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. club — a group
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — for sculpting

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