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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · present · squash · snap · field · bay · season · calf

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. present — the time now
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. squash — to crush
  6. season — of the year
  7. wax — to grow
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. field — a subject
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. season — in sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. present — there
  17. field — farmland
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. snap — to click
  20. field — for sport
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. present — a gift
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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