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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. tube — a container
  8. season — in sport
  9. bat — the animal
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pit — in a race
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wax — to grow
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. season — of the year
  24. patient — a sick person

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