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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: spell · bore · wax · roll · wound · ball · lie · hide

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. spell — a short time
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wound — an injury
  13. ball — a dance
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wound — an injury
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bore — to tire
  20. roll — a cake
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. roll — a list
  23. wax — to grow
  24. lie — an untruth

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