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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. present — there
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. present — a gift
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. present — the time now
  19. kick — in football
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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