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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bark — to shout
  5. key — in music
  6. wax — to grow
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. key — the most important part
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. key — for a lock
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bulb — for light
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pitch — a sports field

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