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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. object — an aim
  3. fine — high quality
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. squash — to crush
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. squash — the sport
  9. foot — a measure
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — a thing
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cap — a lid
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. wax — to grow
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. cap — a hat
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. cap — of ice

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