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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. season — in sport
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bear — the animal
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fall — to drop
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. land — ground
  13. fall — to drop
  14. season — of the year
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fall — the season
  22. land — a country
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wax — to grow

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