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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 116 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mark — a trace
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. snap — to click
  8. wax — to grow
  9. kid — child
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. scale — in music
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mate — a partner
  21. stand — to bear
  22. kid — to tease
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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