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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. fall — the season
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. wax — to grow
  4. club — for golf
  5. spell — magic
  6. pass — a permit
  7. current — of water
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. club — a group
  11. current — happening now
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. current — electric
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. club — for dancing
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — letters
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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