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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. key — the most important part
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rush — hurry
  17. key — for a lock
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. key — in music
  20. rock — music
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. kick — in football
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

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