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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 · prune · suit · snap · wax · key · calf · bank

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. key — for a lock
  3. prune — to trim
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. key — the most important part
  7. season — in sport
  8. suit — in cards
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. suit — clothes
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bank — for money
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bank — of a river
  18. snap — to click
  19. bank — for money
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. suit — to fit
  22. season — of the year
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. key — in 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