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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: rock · wound · prune · cap · season · kick · wax · straw

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. season — in sport
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. cap — a hat
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. cap — of ice
  11. season — of the year
  12. wax — to grow
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. kick — in football
  19. prune — to trim
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. rock — music
  24. cap — a lid

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