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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fall — the season
  8. board — to get on
  9. fall — to drop
  10. root — of a word
  11. wax — to grow
  12. row — to paddle
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. row — a line
  15. bass — low music
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. board — a committee
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mate — to breed
  21. root — of a plant
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. root — the cause
  24. row — a quarrel

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