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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 120 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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wax — to grow
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. ground — the earth
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — the time now
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. present — there
  13. rash — a series
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. ground — crushed
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. ground — a position
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rash — hasty

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