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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: wax · mouse · season · stand · content · fall · bore · jam

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. content — the amount
  5. bore — to tire
  6. fall — the season
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bore — to drill
  9. season — of the year
  10. stand — to bear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. content — happy
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. season — in sport
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. stand — on your feet

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