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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. rule — a law
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rule — government
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rest — what's left
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. tube — a container
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rest — what's left
  17. tube — the underground
  18. roll — a cake
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rest — a break
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a list
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. patient — a sick person

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