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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: fine · season · lash · wax · perch · spell · suit · stock

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — clothes
  3. season — in sport
  4. fine — all right
  5. spell — letters
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. spell — magic
  13. stock — goods
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fine — high quality
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. season — of the year
  20. stock — shares
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. season — to add flavour

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