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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. suit — clothes
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. field — a subject
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stem — to come from
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. field — for sport
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bat — the animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. field — farmland
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bear — to put up with

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