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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. tube — a container
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. game — a match
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. scale — in music
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bore — to tire
  12. season — of the year
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. tube — the underground
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. game — wild animals
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. season — in sport
  22. bat — the animal
  23. wax — in the ear
  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