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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. hand — in cards
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hand — help
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. chip — to eat
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. tube — a container
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. craft — boats
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mine — for digging
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bulb — for light

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