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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lie — to recline
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bear — the animal
  16. roll — a list
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. content — happy
  19. season — in sport
  20. current — of water
  21. content — the amount
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. roll — a cake
  24. content — videos and posts

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