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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. bore — to drill
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. suit — to fit
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. wax — to grow
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. suit — in cards
  18. snap — to click
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to tire
  24. temple — a place of worship

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