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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. track — a song
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fall — to drop
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. plane — a tool
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wax — to grow
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. track — a path
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. prune — to trim
  23. track — to keep track
  24. coach — a trainer

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