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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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. ruler — for measuring
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. hand — in cards
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mate — a friend
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mate — a partner
  15. land — ground
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. hand — help
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. land — to come down
  22. mate — to breed
  23. land — a country
  24. game — a match

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