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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. date — the fruit
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wax — to grow
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. chip — to eat
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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