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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rush — hurry
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. rest — what's left
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rest — a break
  22. wax — to grow
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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