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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wax — to grow
  4. face — to confront
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. leaves — lets stay

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