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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 116 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. rule — a law
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. suit — in cards
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rule — government
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. season — of the year
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. wax — to grow
  22. present — the time now
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. season — in sport

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