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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. spell — letters
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. craft — boats
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. spell — magic
  9. wax — to grow
  10. march — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. spell — a short time
  15. suit — clothes
  16. march — the month
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. march — the month
  19. rock — music
  20. suit — in cards
  21. season — of the year
  22. rock — a stone
  23. suit — to fit
  24. craft — a handicraft

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