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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wax — to grow
  3. season — of the year
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. net — in sport
  6. spell — letters
  7. present — there
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cue — a hint
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. roll — a list
  14. net — after costs
  15. present — a gift
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. net — for catching
  18. spell — magic
  19. season — in sport
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. roll — a cake
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. present — the time now

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