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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bound — certain
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. tube — the underground
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bound — tied together
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pop — music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pop — soda
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mate — to breed

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