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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · season · date · rule · wax · mate · cold · deal

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. season — in sport
  6. rule — a law
  7. mate — to breed
  8. cold — an illness
  9. date — the fruit
  10. cold — not warm
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wax — to grow
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mate — a partner
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rule — government

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