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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cap — a lid
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. can — to be able to
  6. ground — crushed
  7. cap — a hat
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. tube — the underground
  19. snap — to click
  20. wax — to grow
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. cap — of ice

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