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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. toast — bread
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. season — in sport
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. spell — a short time
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. spell — magic
  14. season — of the year
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. spell — letters
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. kick — a thrill

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