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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. spell — magic
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spell — letters
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pound — a weight
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rest — a break
  24. sharp — clever

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