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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. season — in sport
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. staff — a stick
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rash — a series
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. rash — hasty
  12. track — a song
  13. craft — boats
  14. wax — to grow
  15. track — to keep track
  16. season — of the year
  17. squash — the sport
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. track — a path
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. staff — employees
  22. lean — thin
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wax — for sculpting

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