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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: season · lean · rush · roll · bore · wax · hand · bulb

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bore — to tire
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. roll — a list
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. hand — help
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. bore — to drill
  14. lean — thin
  15. hand — in cards
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. roll — on a roll

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