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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 120 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: fan · court · wax · fall · lash · season · craft · deal

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. court — of law
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. fall — the season
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. fall — to drop
  9. court — for sport
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. craft — a skill
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. season — of the year
  19. craft — boats
  20. deal — to handle
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. court — of a king

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