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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. season — of the year
  5. last — to go on
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. last — final
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spring — a coil
  11. craft — boats
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pit — in a race
  20. last — finally
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. coach — a trainer

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