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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: snap · row · game · mine · toast · present · wax · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. present — there
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. row — a line
  9. mine — for digging
  10. row — to paddle
  11. game — a match
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. toast — bread
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. wax — to grow
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. game — wild animals
  24. season — of the year

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