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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. spell — letters
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. tube — a container
  6. wax — to grow
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fine — all right
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. band — a music group
  11. spell — magic
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. fine — high quality
  17. band — a ring
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. spell — a short time
  24. band — a rubber band

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