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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: spell · bear · wax · stick · vault · season · last · calf

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. last — final
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. wax — to grow
  12. season — of the year
  13. vault — a safe
  14. last — to go on
  15. bear — the animal
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. spell — a short time
  20. last — finally
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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