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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spring · sharp · wax · mug · last · stand · mouse · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. last — final
  3. stand — to bear
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. spring — of water
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. mug — a face
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mug — to rob
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mug — a cup
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — finally
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. spring — the season
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stand — on your feet

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