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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. present — a gift
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. firm — decided
  7. suit — in cards
  8. present — the time now
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rash — hasty
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to click
  13. rest — what's left
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wax — to grow
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. present — there
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rest — a break
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — to fit
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — steady

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