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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bear — the animal
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lie — to recline
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. shower — rain
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bear — the animal

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