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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. land — a country
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. chair — a leader
  16. can — a tin
  17. wax — to grow
  18. land — to come down
  19. fall — the season
  20. key — for a lock
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — in 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