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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. drill — army training
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bat — the animal
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hand — help
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. shower — rain
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. drill — the tool
  17. shower — to wash
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. hand — in cards
  23. drill — a practice
  24. wax — to grow

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