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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: deal · rush · pop · toast · suit · wax · season · spell

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. suit — in cards
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pop — to visit
  7. suit — to fit
  8. toast — bread
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. season — of the year
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. season — in sport
  21. spell — magic
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. deal — an agreement
  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