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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.

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: bear · cabinet · pit · mine · season · fall · wax · hide

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. fall — the season
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fall — to drop
  5. season — in sport
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bear — the animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mine — an explosive

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