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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. season — in sport
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. scale — in music
  14. suit — clothes
  15. season — of the year
  16. spell — a short time
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. wax — to grow
  24. sharp — clever

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