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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. object — to protest
  4. press — to push
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rest — what's left
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bark — to shout
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. object — a thing
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rest — a break
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rest — what's left
  22. press — a publisher
  23. object — an aim
  24. wax — to grow

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