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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. tube — a container
  6. clip — a video
  7. wax — to grow
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. dip — to sink
  14. object — to protest
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. tube — the underground
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. deal — to handle

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