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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. season — in sport
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pitch — completely
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — a tin
  10. season — of the year
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. can — a tin
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lie — to recline
  24. can — to be able to

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