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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: board · wax · deal · spring · pit · lean · foot · leaves

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. lean — thin
  3. spring — a coil
  4. board — to get on
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. spring — the season
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. deal — to handle
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. board — a committee
  15. spring — of water
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. lean — to bend
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. foot — a measure
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pit — in a race

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