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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cap — a hat
  3. rash — hasty
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. chip — for betting
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — bread
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. season — of the year
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. season — in sport
  24. rash — a series

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