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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: season · calf · shower · rush · wax · rest · tube · bay

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wax — to grow
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. rest — what's left
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. season — in sport
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. tube — a container
  13. rest — a break
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. season — of the year
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — to wash
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bay — a horse colour

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