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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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Word bank
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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. dip — to sink
  5. hand — help
  6. season — in sport
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mark — a grade
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rock — music
  21. mark — a trace
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. hand — in cards

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