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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mug — to rob
  6. toast — bread
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. saw — the tool
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. mug — a face
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pit — in a race
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rash — hasty
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mug — a cup
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pit — a hole
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rash — a series

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