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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: mark · bound · season · bowl · straw · wax · bear · squash

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. wax — to grow
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. season — in sport
  5. mark — a trace
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bound — certain
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. season — of the year
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. squash — the sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. wax — in the ear
  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