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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fall — to drop
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. fall — to drop
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. fall — the season
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. current — of water
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. dip — to sink
  16. current — electric
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bass — the fish
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. current — happening now
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — low music

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