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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: cabinet · rush · toast · cell · bore · season · wax · can

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. can — a tin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rush — hurry
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. season — of the year
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. cell — a phone
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. can — a tin
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bore — to tire
  18. can — to be able to
  19. season — in sport
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. toast — bread
  23. cell — in biology
  24. rush — a thrill

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