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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wax — to grow
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. lean — thin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spell — letters
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fine — high quality
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. spell — a short time
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fine — all right
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lie — to recline
  23. spell — magic
  24. wax — in the ear

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