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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pop — to visit
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fall — the season
  7. can — to be able to
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. march — music
  11. pop — music
  12. can — a tin
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pop — soda
  16. march — the month
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. can — a tin
  20. march — the month
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fall — to drop
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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