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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. season — of the year
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. season — in sport
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. capital — money
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. capital — a city
  24. mark — a grade

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