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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. suit — in cards
  5. mark — a trace
  6. root — the cause
  7. mark — a grade
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. suit — clothes
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. root — of a plant
  20. suit — to fit
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. root — of a word

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