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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. spell — a short time
  8. fall — to drop
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. spell — letters
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lean — to bend
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fall — to drop
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. spell — magic
  21. fall — the season
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. lean — thin
  24. cabinet — ministers

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