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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. tube — a container
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pass — a permit
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rush — hurry
  11. object — a thing
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. object — to protest
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. leaves — to go away

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