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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rule — a law
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. spring — of water
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cue — for pool
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. spring — a coil
  15. tube — a container
  16. cue — a signal
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wax — to grow
  19. spring — the season
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. rule — government
  24. foot — a measure

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