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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 · nail · wax · pass · season · deal · mine · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. wind — moving air
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. season — in sport
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mine — for digging
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wind — moving air
  24. nail — for a hammer

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