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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. wax — to grow
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rush — hurry
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. season — in sport
  14. lie — to recline
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — to eat with

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