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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rush — hurry
  5. face — to confront
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. wax — to grow
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. chest — a box
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. leaves — lets stay

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