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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: spring · pass · current · wax · saw · season · squash · temple

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. spring — the season
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. season — of the year
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pass — a permit
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. squash — the sport
  11. season — in sport
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. current — happening now
  14. spring — a coil
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. squash — to crush
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. saw — the tool
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. spring — of water

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