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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. suit — in cards
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. present — there
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. present — a gift
  11. suit — to fit
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. present — the time now
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. clip — for paper
  17. suit — clothes
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — a video
  21. squash — to crush
  22. wax — to grow
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a bank

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