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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. cold — not warm
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. cold — an illness
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wake — before a funeral

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