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

Word bank: wax · bowl · firm · tube · kid · foot · leaves · bay

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. firm — decided
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. foot — a measure
  13. kid — child
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wax — to grow
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. kid — to tease
  20. tube — a container
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. firm — a company

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