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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. game — wild animals
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. present — a gift
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. game — a match
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. present — the time now
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lean — thin
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. present — there
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. lean — to bend
  24. safe — a strongbox

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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