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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. board — to get on
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. wax — to grow
  14. band — a music group
  15. board — a committee
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wake — a trail
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. kick — in football

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