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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. field — a subject
  7. wax — to grow
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. field — farmland
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. tube — a container
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. tube — the underground
  16. ball — a great time
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. field — for sport
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ball — a dance

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