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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. cell — in biology
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cell — a phone
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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