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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mug — a face
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. rash — a series
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mug — to rob
  15. spell — letters
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rock — a stone
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  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