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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. key — in music
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. snap — to click
  19. key — the most important part
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. key — for a lock
  23. foot — a measure
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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