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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. kick — in football
  3. fine — all right
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. mate — to breed
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rock — music
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fine — high quality
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fine — a penalty

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