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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mate — a partner
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fall — the season
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mate — to breed
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ball — a dance
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mate — a friend
  19. ball — a great time
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

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