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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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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: object · nail · leaves · cell · pop · wax · can · season

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. wax — to grow
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. can — to be able to
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. object — a thing
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. cell — a phone
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. object — an aim
  18. pop — music
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. season — of the year
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. object — to protest
  24. season — in sport

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