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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. wax — to grow
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. track — a song
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. track — to keep track
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. fall — the season
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chip — for betting
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bass — low music
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. track — a path

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