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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. wax — to grow
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. calf — a young animal

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