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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pop — to visit
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pop — soda
  8. suit — clothes
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pop — music
  13. perch — the fish
  14. season — in sport
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mate — a friend
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. season — of the year

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