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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wax — to grow
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. charge — a price
  14. craft — boats
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. tube — the underground
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. craft — a skill
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. tube — a container
  24. charge — in control

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