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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cap — a lid
  4. net — in sport
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. perch — the fish
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. net — for catching
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. can — a tin
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cap — of ice
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. tube — a container
  20. net — after costs
  21. can — a tin
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. cap — a hat
  24. wax — to grow

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