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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 116 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. content — happy
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bulb — for light
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. content — the amount
  24. coach — a trainer

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