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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. staff — employees
  3. foot — a measure
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. staff — employees
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. field — farmland
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. field — a subject
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. staff — a stick
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wax — to grow
  24. field — for sport

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