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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — a phone
  3. tube — a container
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wax — to grow
  10. file — a tool
  11. key — the most important part
  12. tube — the underground
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cell — in biology
  15. wake — a trail
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bear — the animal
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a line of people
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wax — for sculpting

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