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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.

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 · jam · season · stick · coach · tear · spring · lean

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lean — to bend
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. tear — to rip
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. lean — thin
  20. tear — from crying
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. tear — from crying
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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