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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: wax · branch · court · can · lean · drill · season · hide

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. lean — thin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. season — of the year
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. branch — a division
  8. can — a tin
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. season — in sport
  13. can — a tin
  14. drill — the tool
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. drill — army training
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. drill — a practice
  21. court — of law
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. can — to be able to

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