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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. capital — money
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. mug — a face
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wax — to grow
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. suit — in cards
  18. capital — a city
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — to rob
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. cue — a signal
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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