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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. saw — the tool
  7. swing — to play on
  8. object — a thing
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mark — a trace
  11. swing — music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mark — a grade
  19. saw — the tool
  20. net — in sport
  21. wax — to grow
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — for catching

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