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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. kick — in football
  4. net — after costs
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. board — a committee
  10. wax — to grow
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. net — in sport
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. tube — a container
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. board — to get on
  21. net — for catching
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. board — a flat piece

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