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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mug — a face
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mug — a cup
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. scale — size or range
  12. content — happy
  13. fall — the season
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mug — to rob
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. content — the amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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