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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. tube — a container
  5. content — the amount
  6. cap — a lid
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cap — a hat
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mate — a partner
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mate — to breed
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mate — a friend
  19. face — to confront
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. wax — to grow
  23. face — to point toward
  24. content — happy

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