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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. snap — to click
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mine — for digging
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wax — to grow
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. cap — a hat
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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