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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. clip — to cut
  12. wax — to grow
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. club — a group
  16. clip — a video
  17. foot — a measure
  18. club — for dancing
  19. sharp — clever
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lie — to recline
  24. club — for golf

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