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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
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: calf · degree · coach · bowl · jam · rest · wax · season

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. degree — from a university
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. rest — what's left
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. wax — to grow
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bowl — a football final

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