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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. object — a thing
  9. wax — to grow
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. object — an aim
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bat — the animal
  17. object — to protest
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — rain
  24. ball — a great time

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