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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. wax — to grow
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. row — to paddle
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stand — to bear
  11. row — a line
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. season — in sport
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. snap — to click
  17. toast — bread
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. row — a quarrel

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