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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: toast · capital · season · mark · wax · saw · present · lash

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. wax — to grow
  3. present — the time now
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. toast — bread
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mark — a grade
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. mark — a trace
  18. saw — the tool
  19. present — there
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a city
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. mark — to pay attention

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