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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mark — a trace
  4. season — in sport
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. suit — in cards
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. season — of the year
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. shower — rain
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mark — a grade
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wound — an injury

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