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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. roll — a cake
  3. rest — what's left
  4. season — of the year
  5. rest — a break
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. club — a group
  8. prune — to trim
  9. suit — clothes
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. season — in sport
  14. rest — what's left
  15. toast — bread
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. club — for golf
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. wax — to grow
  21. roll — a list
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. club — for dancing
  24. toast — the most admired

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