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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
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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: trunk · spell · mate · key · pit · bore · wax · season

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. spell — a short time
  5. key — the most important part
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pit — in a race
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. mate — a partner
  13. spell — magic
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mate — to breed
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wax — to grow
  19. spell — letters
  20. season — in sport
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. key — in music
  24. bore — to tire

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