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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wax — to grow
  4. clip — for paper
  5. key — in music
  6. clip — a video
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. key — for a lock
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pass — a permit
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. tube — the underground
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bulb — for light
  24. nail — for a hammer

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