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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: capital · snap · pit · squash · suit · bulb · wax · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bulb — for light
  6. snap — to click
  7. pit — a hole
  8. season — in sport
  9. wax — to grow
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pit — in a race
  12. capital — money
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. suit — in cards
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. capital — a city
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. suit — clothes

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