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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. chest — of your body
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. kid — child
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. ground — the earth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. kid — to tease
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. chest — a box

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