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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 116 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. shower — rain
  3. wax — to grow
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bound — certain
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. shower — to wash
  9. pop — soda
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rest — what's left
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bound — tied together
  17. swing — music
  18. pop — music
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bound — obliged
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. swing — to play on

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