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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 · present · season · object · chest · stick · wax · prune

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. season — of the year
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. object — to protest
  6. season — in sport
  7. prune — to trim
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. present — the time now
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. chest — of your body
  15. present — a gift
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. present — there
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. chest — a box
  23. wax — to grow
  24. object — an aim

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