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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. net — for catching
  3. band — a ring
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mug — a face
  8. drill — army training
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. net — in sport
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. spring — a coil
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a cup
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. net — after costs
  19. spring — of water
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. spring — the season
  24. wax — to grow

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