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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: wax · prune · squash · season · band · kick · trunk · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. squash — to crush
  4. prune — to trim
  5. squash — the sport
  6. kick — in football
  7. season — in sport
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. prune — to trim
  15. season — of the year
  16. wax — to grow
  17. band — a music group
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. band — a ring
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. board — a committee
  24. band — a rubber band

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