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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. suit — clothes
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. band — a ring
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. band — a music group
  7. suit — in cards
  8. last — to go on
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. last — final
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. last — finally
  19. suit — to fit
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. wax — to grow
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. calf — of the leg

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