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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  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. tube — a container
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. swing — in golf
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. snap — to click
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. spring — a coil
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. spring — the season
  16. tube — the underground
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. swing — to play on
  19. wax — to grow
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. swing — music
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. spring — of water
  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