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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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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: nail · wax · season · game · pit · present · wind · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. game — wild animals
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. present — a gift
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mate — to breed
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. present — there
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. present — the time now
  19. game — a match
  20. mate — a partner
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. season — in sport
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wax — to grow

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