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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. cue — for pool
  3. chip — for betting
  4. tube — the underground
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wound — an injury
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cue — a hint
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. tube — a container
  24. wax — to grow

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