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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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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: spring · tube · mate · trunk · wax · leaves · deal · mouse

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mate — a friend
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. tube — the underground
  13. deal — to handle
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. spring — of water
  16. tube — a container
  17. mate — a partner
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mate — to breed
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. wax — for sculpting

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