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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. file — a tool
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. file — a document
  10. mug — a face
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mug — to rob
  13. file — a line of people
  14. game — a match
  15. game — wild animals
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mug — a cup
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. game — a kind of play

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