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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. current — of water
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. can — to be able to
  9. tube — the underground
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. can — a tin
  13. current — happening now
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wake — a trail
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wax — to grow
  22. current — electric
  23. can — a tin
  24. wake — before a funeral

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