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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. vault — a safe
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. tube — a container
  12. fall — the season
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. kid — child
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. kid — to tease
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. fall — to drop
  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