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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. season — in sport
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — a series
  7. capital — a city
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. season — of the year
  15. suit — in cards
  16. capital — money
  17. drill — a practice
  18. suit — clothes
  19. deal — to handle
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wax — in the ear
  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