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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: prune · wax · roll · stand · leaves · season · bound · wind

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bound — obliged
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bound — certain
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wind — moving air
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. season — in sport
  14. bound — tied together
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. roll — a cake
  21. wind — moving air
  22. prune — to trim
  23. roll — a list
  24. wax — for sculpting

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