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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mark — a grade
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wax — to grow
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. clip — for paper
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bear — the animal
  17. tube — the underground
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. clip — a video
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. clip — to cut
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bear — the animal

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