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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. tube — a container
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. tube — the underground
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. kid — child
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cap — a lid
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. branch — a division
  22. wax — to grow
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. kid — to tease

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