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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. drill — the tool
  5. face — part of the head
  6. wax — to grow
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. drill — army training
  10. face — to confront
  11. cold — not warm
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — a law
  20. lean — thin
  21. drill — a practice
  22. lean — to bend
  23. cold — an illness
  24. rule — to rule out

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