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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. kick — in football
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bank — for money
  7. bark — to shout
  8. staff — employees
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bank — of a river
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. staff — employees
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bank — for money
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wax — for sculpting

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