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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 116 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. rock — music
  3. season — of the year
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. net — for catching
  7. row — to paddle
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mate — a friend
  10. row — a line
  11. season — in sport
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wax — to grow
  16. suit — in cards
  17. net — in sport
  18. suit — to fit
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. mate — to breed
  21. snap — to click
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. net — after costs
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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