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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.

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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. wax — to grow
  3. suit — to fit
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. tube — a container
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. branch — a division
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. suit — clothes
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. suit — in cards
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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