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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mate — a friend
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. mate — to breed
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wax — to grow
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bark — to shout
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wax — in the ear

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