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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 120 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. tube — the underground
  4. wax — to grow
  5. last — to go on
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. last — final
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. tube — a container
  15. firm — decided
  16. last — finally
  17. deal — to handle
  18. firm — a company
  19. charge — a price
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. firm — steady
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. charge — in control
  24. fan — a supporter

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