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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. season — of the year
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fork — in a road
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. straw — dry grass

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