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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wax — to grow
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. hand — help
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wake — a trail
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. sharp — clever
  24. hand — part of the body

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