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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pitch — completely
  4. firm — a company
  5. wind — moving air
  6. spell — letters
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. spell — a short time
  10. firm — decided
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. spell — magic
  13. wax — to grow
  14. firm — steady
  15. fork — in a road
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. tube — a container
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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