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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. can — to be able to
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. can — a tin
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. shower — to wash
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. shower — rain
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. season — of the year
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. content — happy
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. can — a tin

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