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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: arm · wax · cap · net · leaves · present · lean · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. present — there
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. net — after costs
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. net — in sport
  14. lean — thin
  15. present — a gift
  16. cap — a lid
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lean — to bend
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. present — the time now
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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