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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. key — the most important part
  5. tube — a container
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. tube — the underground
  9. key — for a lock
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bass — the fish
  15. key — in music
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bass — low music
  20. cold — an illness
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. rest — a break
  24. wax — to grow

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