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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · kick · wave · season · degree · spring · stand · staff

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. staff — a stick
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. staff — employees
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — from a university
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — a coil
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. season — in sport
  17. spring — the season
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. season — of the year
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. staff — employees
  24. degree — temperature

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