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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: court · rash · present · leaves · wax · cabinet · craft · row

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. craft — boats
  6. present — there
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. court — for sport
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. craft — a skill
  13. present — the time now
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wax — to grow
  17. court — of a king
  18. present — a gift
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. rash — a series
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. court — of law
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. row — a line

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