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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cap — a hat
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. game — a match
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. firm — a company
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rock — music
  15. cap — of ice
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. firm — decided
  19. cap — a lid
  20. game — wild animals
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rock — a stone
  24. firm — steady

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