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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stand — to bear
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wax — to grow
  15. row — a line
  16. pound — a weight
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. tube — a container
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wax — for sculpting

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