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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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 — to add flavour
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hand — help
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bound — certain
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. season — in sport
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. season — of the year
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bound — obliged
  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