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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 120 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
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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: wax · nail · present · stand · season · last · chair · prune

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. wax — to grow
  3. present — the time now
  4. stand — to bear
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. present — there
  9. prune — to trim
  10. season — of the year
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. prune — to trim
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — a leader
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. present — a gift
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. season — in sport
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. last — to go on
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. prune — the fruit

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