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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 124 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. spring — of water
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. spring — the season
  10. branch — a division
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fine — high quality
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. spring — a coil
  19. kid — to tease
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. kid — child
  24. fan — a supporter

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