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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 120 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. scale — size or range
  4. land — ground
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. tube — the underground
  13. foot — a measure
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. land — to come down
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. land — a country
  19. bass — low music
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bass — the fish
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bass — the instrument

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