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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wind — moving air
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wax — to grow
  5. saw — the tool
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. spring — the season
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spring — of water
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. fork — a garden tool

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