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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. saw — the tool
  4. suit — in cards
  5. saw — the tool
  6. march — the month
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. branch — a division
  9. suit — to fit
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. march — the month
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wax — to grow
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. march — music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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