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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: calf · scale · suit · cold · wax · drill · mug · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. suit — clothes
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. wax — to grow
  8. drill — army training
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mug — a face
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. drill — the tool
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mug — to rob
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. scale — in music
  20. cold — an illness
  21. drill — a practice
  22. mug — a cup
  23. scale — size or range
  24. season — of the year

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