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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. file — a tool
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. file — a document
  9. pitch — completely
  10. present — there
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. file — a line of people
  14. deal — to handle
  15. object — an aim
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. present — a gift
  22. object — to protest
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. present — the time now

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