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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pit — in a race
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. plane — a tool
  10. capital — a city
  11. game — a match
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. capital — money
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pit — a hole
  24. leaves — to go away

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