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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. season — of the year
  3. lean — thin
  4. mate — a friend
  5. key — in music
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. mate — to breed
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. key — the most important part

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