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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 116 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. spring — the season
  3. dip — to sink
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bound — certain
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. season — of the year
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. spring — of water
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bound — obliged
  18. suit — in cards
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. season — in sport

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