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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rash — a series
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pass — a permit
  14. tube — a container
  15. rash — hasty
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rock — music
  19. present — the time now
  20. ball — a great time
  21. tube — the underground
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. present — there

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