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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. net — for catching
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. net — after costs
  10. scale — in music
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. present — the time now
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. present — a gift
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. game — a match
  19. net — in sport
  20. scale — size or range
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wax — to grow

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