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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: suit · mine · wax · chair · swing · mark · band · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. swing — music
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. swing — in golf
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. band — a ring
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wax — to grow
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. mark — a trace
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. band — a music group
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mark — a grade

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