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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — of the year
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. can — a tin
  6. season — in sport
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. present — there
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. can — a tin
  12. craft — a skill
  13. row — a line
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. present — the time now
  17. row — to paddle
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. craft — boats
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. can — to be able to

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