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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: bore · track · spring · leaves · object · band · wax · mug

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. spring — a coil
  5. band — a ring
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mug — a face
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. mug — to rob
  14. wax — to grow
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. spring — the season
  18. object — to protest
  19. mug — a cup
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a music group
  24. spring — of water

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