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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. degree — from a university
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — an amount
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rash — a series
  12. tube — the underground
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rash — hasty
  15. wax — to grow
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. content — the amount
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. tube — a container

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