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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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. chair — a leader
  3. root — the cause
  4. suit — clothes
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wax — to grow
  8. last — to go on
  9. branch — a division
  10. suit — to fit
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. last — finally
  17. root — of a word
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. last — final
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. suit — in cards
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. chair — to sit on

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