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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wax — to grow
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. snap — to click
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. season — in sport
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. season — of the year
  13. saw — the tool
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. pitch — completely

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