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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bound — obliged
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. spring — the season
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bound — certain
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fine — all right
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stand — to bear
  17. spring — of water
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. fine — high quality
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. leaves — lets stay

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