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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. object — an aim
  4. squash — to crush
  5. content — happy
  6. face — to confront
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — the sport
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. face — to point toward
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. object — a thing
  15. content — the amount
  16. tube — a container
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. face — part of the head
  20. object — to protest
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wax — to grow
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. tube — in a tire

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