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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. hand — help
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. present — a gift
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. present — the time now
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fine — all right
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — a permit
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. present — there
  22. hand — in cards
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. racket — for tennis

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