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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rest — what's left
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. spring — the season
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. rest — a break
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fine — all right
  12. tube — a container
  13. spring — a coil
  14. club — for golf
  15. tear — from crying
  16. club — for dancing
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. spring — of water
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tear — to rip
  24. wax — to grow

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