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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. net — in sport
  3. wax — to grow
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — an illness
  6. rash — a series
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. net — for catching
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. deal — to handle
  12. dip — to sink
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rash — hasty
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. net — after costs
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rash — on the skin

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