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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 116 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. band — a ring
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. band — a music group
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. can — to be able to
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. present — there
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. row — to paddle
  20. drill — the tool
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. row — a line

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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