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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. foot — a measure
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. charge — a price
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. tube — a container
  8. march — the month
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. charge — in control
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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