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

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. game — wild animals
  4. sharp — clever
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. tube — the underground
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. face — to confront
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. face — part of the head
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. face — to point toward
  23. game — a match
  24. rush — hurry

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