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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. stock — goods
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pitch — completely
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. stock — shares
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lean — thin
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. lean — to bend
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wax — to grow
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. arm — part of the body

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