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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: rest · mate · season · calf · wax · straw · prune · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mate — a friend
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. season — in sport
  9. march — the month
  10. rest — what's left
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mate — a partner
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. season — of the year
  18. mate — to breed
  19. rest — what's left
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rest — a break
  23. wax — to grow
  24. march — music

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