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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. swing — in golf
  5. snap — to click
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. swing — music
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mark — a trace
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. tube — a container
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. board — to get on
  18. mark — a grade
  19. swing — to play on
  20. board — a committee
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wax — for sculpting

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