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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. season — of the year
  3. saw — the tool
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. season — in sport
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. tube — the underground
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. snap — to click
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. tube — a container
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. tube — in a tire

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