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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. roll — a cake
  6. season — in sport
  7. craft — boats
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. suit — clothes
  10. season — of the year
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. shower — to wash
  15. swing — to play on
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wax — to grow
  18. roll — a list
  19. craft — a skill
  20. shower — rain
  21. prune — to trim
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. suit — to fit

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