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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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. track — a song
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. track — a path
  4. tube — a container
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cap — a lid
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. track — to keep track
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. tear — from crying
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tube — the underground
  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