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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: leaves · fine · rush · staff · file · court · wax · cap

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. file — a line of people
  4. court — of law
  5. wax — to grow
  6. court — for sport
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fine — all right
  11. staff — employees
  12. cap — a hat
  13. file — a document
  14. fine — high quality
  15. staff — a stick
  16. file — a tool
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. court — of a king
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cap — a lid
  21. staff — employees
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wax — for sculpting

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