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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · bowl · leaves · fork · bat · spring · can · stick

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bat — the animal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. spring — of water
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. spring — the season
  20. fork — in a road
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. can — a tin
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. fork — to eat with

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