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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: rash · season · wax · band · pit · bound · last · spell

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bound — obliged
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. last — to go on
  7. pit — a hole
  8. rash — hasty
  9. band — a ring
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pit — in a race
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. last — finally
  18. last — final
  19. bound — tied together
  20. spell — letters
  21. band — a music group
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bound — certain
  24. wax — to grow

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