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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rush — hurry
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bark — to shout
  17. suit — clothes
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. spell — letters
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. suit — in cards

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