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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: season · face · rule · deal · wax · bore · pit · straw

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. pit — in a race
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. face — to confront
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. face — part of the head
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bore — to tire
  14. deal — to handle
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. season — of the year
  19. wax — to grow
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rule — government
  23. straw — dry grass
  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