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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. season — of the year
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. craft — boats
  12. wax — to grow
  13. kick — in football
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bound — certain
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. can — a tin
  18. season — in sport
  19. craft — a skill
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. can — a tin
  22. bound — obliged
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wax — in the ear

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