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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: wax · charge · deal · season · bore · bulb · bass · spell

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bass — low music
  5. wax — to grow
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. spell — magic
  11. season — of the year
  12. spell — letters
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spell — a short time
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. charge — a price
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. season — in sport
  24. charge — in control

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