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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wax — to grow
  9. saw — the tool
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. content — happy
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rash — a series
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. tube — the underground
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. content — the amount
  24. saw — the tool

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