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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 116 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
468
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: lean · season · straw · wax · last · bay · rush · kid

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. kid — child
  3. rush — hurry
  4. season — of the year
  5. lean — thin
  6. last — finally
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wax — to grow
  16. last — final
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. last — to go on
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. kid — to tease
  24. lean — to bend

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