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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. row — to paddle
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. chip — for betting
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rule — a law
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. row — a line
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. ball — a great time

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