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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wax — to grow
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. rest — a break
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. swing — music
  10. hand — in cards
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. swing — in golf
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. ground — a position
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rest — what's left
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rest — what's left

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