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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 120 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. staff — employees
  3. fine — all right
  4. tube — the underground
  5. chest — of your body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. firm — a company
  9. fine — high quality
  10. staff — employees
  11. wax — to grow
  12. chest — a box
  13. staff — a stick
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. row — to paddle
  17. firm — steady
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. firm — decided
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. chest — of your body
  23. row — a line
  24. wax — in the ear

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