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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 120 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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bear — the animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. tube — a container
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rule — government
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — clothes
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. craft — boats
  16. tube — the underground
  17. craft — a skill
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rule — a law
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. degree — from a university
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. tube — in a tire

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