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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. spell — letters
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. season — of the year
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. squash — to crush
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. spell — magic
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. chair — a leader

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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