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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mark — a grade
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. mine — for digging
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — child
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mark — a trace
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. wax — to grow
  20. kid — to tease
  21. pitch — completely
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rush — hurry

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