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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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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. tube — a container
  6. field — a subject
  7. charge — a price
  8. last — to go on
  9. charge — electricity
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. charge — in control
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rash — a series
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. last — finally
  18. field — farmland
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mark — a grade
  21. field — for sport
  22. last — final
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mouse — for a computer

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