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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pit — a hole
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bass — low music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cold — not warm
  24. bass — the instrument

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