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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. season — of the year
  4. cue — a signal
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cue — a hint
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pit — a hole
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pit — in a race
  20. season — in sport
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wax — for sculpting

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