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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. suit — in cards
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. season — of the year
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. date — the fruit
  10. spell — letters
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. spell — magic
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. spell — a short time
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. suit — to fit
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. suit — clothes
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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