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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 124 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. season — in sport
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pop — to visit
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pop — music
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. track — a song
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pop — soda
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pit — in a race
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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