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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. squash — to crush
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mark — a grade
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. mark — a trace
  15. suit — to fit
  16. squash — the sport
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. suit — clothes
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. suit — in cards
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mate — to breed
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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