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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. degree — from a university
  6. mine — for digging
  7. degree — temperature
  8. wax — to grow
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — for a lock
  12. craft — boats
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. craft — a skill
  16. degree — an amount
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bank — for money
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. key — in music
  23. tube — a container
  24. wax — in the ear

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