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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: wax · fine · toast · arm · rest · pit · bear · season

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fine — high quality
  4. season — of the year
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rest — what's left
  7. season — in sport
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. fine — all right
  13. rest — a break
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bear — the animal
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wax — for sculpting

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