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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. club — for golf
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. tube — a container
  8. bank — for money
  9. rule — a law
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. club — a group
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bank — for money
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rule — government
  23. mine — for digging
  24. pass — a permit

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