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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. object — to protest
  8. fork — in a road
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. tube — a container
  15. pitch — completely
  16. object — a thing
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. lie — to recline
  22. object — an aim
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. wax — in the ear

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