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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stem — to come from
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. can — a tin
  9. bulb — for light
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bulb — for light
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. can — a tin
  16. wax — to grow
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. plane — a tool
  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