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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. staff — a stick
  4. mine — for digging
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. content — happy
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. staff — employees
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bass — low music
  18. lie — to recline
  19. content — the amount
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bass — the fish
  23. wax — to grow
  24. staff — employees

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