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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. can — to be able to
  4. saw — the tool
  5. season — of the year
  6. can — a tin
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. can — a tin
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stand — to bear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. season — in sport
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spell — magic

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