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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 120 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. club — for golf
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. lie — to recline
  7. present — a gift
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mate — a partner
  10. present — there
  11. mate — a friend
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — clever
  14. club — a group
  15. squash — to crush
  16. club — for dancing
  17. season — of the year
  18. present — the time now
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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