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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. season — of the year
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mark — a trace
  13. season — in sport
  14. board — to get on
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — happy
  17. wax — to grow
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. date — the fruit
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. perch — the fish
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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