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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. key — in music
  11. lie — to recline
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cap — a hat
  14. key — the most important part
  15. season — in sport
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. season — of the year
  19. squash — the sport
  20. can — to be able to
  21. squash — to crush
  22. can — a tin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. can — a tin

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