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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. fine — all right
  4. face — part of the head
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. last — finally
  7. face — to confront
  8. game — a match
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wax — to grow
  14. tube — a container
  15. fork — in a road
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. fine — high quality
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. tube — the underground
  24. fork — a garden 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