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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. pop — music
  3. object — an aim
  4. mug — a face
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. craft — boats
  7. object — a thing
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. object — to protest
  11. craft — a skill
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. mug — to rob
  15. season — in sport
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. mug — a cup

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