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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 116 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 · bear · rest · pit · bore · wound · wax · shower

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — to wash
  11. season — of the year
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bear — the animal
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. wound — an injury
  20. season — in sport
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rest — a break
  24. season — to add flavour

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