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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. tube — a container
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. suit — to fit
  16. rash — a series
  17. prune — to trim
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. wax — to grow
  20. prune — to trim
  21. swing — in golf
  22. rash — hasty
  23. suit — clothes
  24. rash — on the skin

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