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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fork — in a road
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. spell — letters
  7. squash — the sport
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. spell — magic
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. dip — to sink
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. snap — to click
  18. season — of the year
  19. wax — to grow
  20. board — to get on
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. squash — to crush
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. spell — a short time

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