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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cap — of ice
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wax — to grow
  7. shower — rain
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. tube — a container
  12. season — of the year
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. tube — the underground
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. toast — bread
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. shower — to wash
  22. season — in sport
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cap — a hat

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