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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. ball — a great time
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. can — a tin
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. season — in sport
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. ball — a dance
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. season — of the year
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. can — a tin

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