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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. charge — in control
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. charge — electricity
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. ground — the earth
  10. chest — of your body
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. chest — of your body
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ground — a position
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. wax — to grow
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. ground — crushed
  20. season — of the year
  21. charge — a price
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. chest — a box
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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