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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 120 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. track — a song
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wax — to grow
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. board — to get on
  16. track — a path
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. wind — moving air

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