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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 120 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. object — an aim
  12. wake — a trail
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. dip — to sink
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. tube — a container
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. object — to protest
  22. tube — the underground
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. object — a thing

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