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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. tube — a container
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. spring — a coil
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mine — for digging
  12. craft — boats
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bass — low music
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. spring — of water
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bass — the fish
  23. spring — the season
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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