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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 116 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. firm — a company
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. present — a gift
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rest — a break
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. prune — to trim
  14. present — the time now
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rash — a series
  17. firm — decided
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rash — hasty
  21. present — there
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wax — in the ear

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