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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.

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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: board · season · file · wax · bore · bowl · spring · mark

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bore — to drill
  3. spring — of water
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. mark — a grade
  8. season — in sport
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. file — a tool
  13. spring — the season
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — of the year
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. spring — a coil
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. file — a line of people

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