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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. staff — a stick
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rest — a break
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. club — for golf
  12. staff — employees
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wax — to grow
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. staff — employees
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. club — a group
  22. fork — in a road
  23. tube — a container
  24. club — for dancing

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