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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 124 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. root — of a word
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. net — after costs
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. net — in sport
  13. suit — clothes
  14. tube — a container
  15. wind — moving air
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. root — the cause
  21. suit — to fit
  22. net — for catching
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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