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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rock — music
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. wax — to grow
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mine — for digging
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rock — a stone

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