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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
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: wax · present · pit · season · rest · bulb · bound · trunk

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rest — a break
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bound — certain
  5. bulb — for light
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bound — obliged
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. present — the time now
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bulb — for light
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pit — a hole
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. pit — in a race
  21. present — there
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rest — what's left
  24. present — a gift

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