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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. can — to be able to
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. last — to go on
  12. bark — to shout
  13. can — a tin
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. pitch — completely
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. game — a match
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wax — to grow
  21. last — final
  22. can — a tin
  23. last — finally
  24. hide — to keep secret

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