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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 116 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. spell — a short time
  3. wax — to grow
  4. squash — to crush
  5. clip — for paper
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bore — to drill
  9. spell — letters
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. clip — a video
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. board — to get on
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. clip — to cut
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. spell — magic
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. board — a committee
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bore — to tire
  24. safe — out of danger

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