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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. root — of a word
  10. club — for dancing
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. kick — in football
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. root — the cause
  18. squash — to crush
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. root — of a plant
  21. wax — to grow
  22. season — in sport
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. squash — the sport

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