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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wax — to grow
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pit — a hole
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. season — in sport
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. toast — bread
  14. bear — the animal
  15. content — happy
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. content — the amount
  18. season — of the year
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. stand — to bear
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. content — videos and posts

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