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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. drill — the tool
  4. tube — the underground
  5. drill — a practice
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. tube — a container
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. season — of the year
  16. wake — a trail
  17. drill — army training
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a face
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wax — to grow
  24. lean — thin

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