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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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 — to go away
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. root — the cause
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. capital — money
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. root — of a plant
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. pass — a permit
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. root — of a word
  19. capital — a city
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. board — a flat piece
  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