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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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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. wax — to grow
  3. season — in sport
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. craft — a skill
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. fine — high quality
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. craft — boats
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. fine — all right
  23. season — of the year
  24. sharp — exactly

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