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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. race — a contest
  4. club — a group
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wax — to grow
  7. mate — a partner
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. tube — a container
  11. race — humankind
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. club — for dancing
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mate — a friend
  17. tube — the underground
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. club — for golf
  20. race — the arms race
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. trunk — of a car

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