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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. season — in sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. season — of the year
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. spell — magic
  10. fine — high quality
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. saw — the tool
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. spell — letters
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. fine — all right
  23. drill — army training
  24. saw — the tool

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