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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. field — farmland
  7. present — the time now
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. present — a gift
  10. field — a subject
  11. present — there
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a document
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. field — for sport
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. file — a tool
  23. kick — in football
  24. mouse — for a computer

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