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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. squash — the sport
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. fine — high quality
  7. root — of a word
  8. pop — to visit
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. fine — all right
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. pop — music
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. root — the cause
  21. squash — to crush
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pop — soda

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