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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. root — of a word
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. swing — to play on
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. kick — in football
  15. root — the cause
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chair — a leader
  19. swing — music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. root — of a plant
  22. swing — in golf
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. leaves — to go away

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