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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. track — a path
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. suit — in cards
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. plane — a tool
  11. last — finally
  12. track — to keep track
  13. last — to go on
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. last — final
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wax — to grow
  20. suit — clothes
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. club — for golf
  23. track — a song
  24. club — a group

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