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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. pit — in a race
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. chest — of your body
  5. plane — a tool
  6. chest — a box
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. chest — of your body
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mate — a friend
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mate — to breed
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. pit — a hole
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. spell — a short time

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