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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 116 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. craft — boats
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. lean — thin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. row — a line
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lean — to bend
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. craft — a skill
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. row — to paddle
  22. wax — to grow
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. leaves — of a tree

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