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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 · bear · rash · calf · nail · court · wax · leaves

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. court — of a king
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rash — a series
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. season — of the year
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bear — the animal
  9. season — in sport
  10. court — of law
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. court — for sport
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. calf — a young animal

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