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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. tube — a container
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wax — to grow
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wind — moving air
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. wind — moving air
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. branch — a division
  24. tube — the underground

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