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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. plane — a tool
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. sharp — clever
  22. root — of a word
  23. wind — moving air
  24. tube — in a tire

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