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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. present — a gift
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. stand — to bear
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cell — in biology
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. cell — a phone
  24. deal — to handle

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