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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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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wake — a trail
  6. face — part of the head
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. face — to confront
  12. bank — of a river
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. face — to point toward
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bank — for money
  19. wax — to grow
  20. track — a song
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spring — of water
  23. bank — for money
  24. spring — the season

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