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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. key — in music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. spring — the season
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bore — to tire
  8. march — the month
  9. wax — to grow
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. tube — the underground
  12. key — for a lock
  13. present — a gift
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. present — the time now
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. spring — a coil
  20. present — there
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. tube — a container
  23. spring — of water
  24. bore — to drill

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