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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wax — to grow
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. tube — the underground
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. file — a tool
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. craft — a skill
  14. file — a document
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. tube — a container
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. file — a line of people
  24. fine — a penalty

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