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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bat — the animal
  4. cell — a phone
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. season — in sport
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. deal — to handle
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cell — in biology

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