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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wax — to grow
  10. suit — clothes
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lean — thin
  14. suit — in cards
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. lean — to bend
  23. fall — the season
  24. wax — in the ear

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