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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 124 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: wake · bat · pound · leaves · wave · can · tube · craft

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. can — a tin
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. can — to be able to
  14. craft — a skill
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bat — the animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pound — a weight
  24. craft — boats

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