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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. swing — music
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. last — to go on
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. swing — to play on
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. swing — in golf
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. last — finally
  12. present — the time now
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. toast — bread
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wax — to grow
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. last — final
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. tear — to rip
  24. present — there

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